Ramsey Appointed to Blood Safety and Availability Advisory Committee

CHICAGO --- Glenn Ramsey, M.D., associate professor of pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and medical director of the blood bank at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, has been appointed to a three-year term to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability.

The advisory committee makes general recommendations to Health and Human Services on broad issues involving the U.S. blood supply. Recent recommendations had addressed measures to reduce bacterial contamination of blood products, shortages of immune globulin medications and the blood banking implications of an avian influenza epidemic.

Ramsey’s primary research interests are blood banking and immunohematology, with focus on the challenging transfusion problems of organ transplantation, and, in particular, liver transplants. He also serves on a national blood banking task force, which prepares for and responds to disasters and acts of terrorism.

Ramsey is active in the transfusion service at the Feinberg School, which has a strong emphasis on the quality improvement of laboratory testing and clinical support. He and his colleagues have implemented innovative systems for monitoring blood component usage, managing blood component recalls and preventing ABO blood typing errors in organ transplants.

Recently, Northwestern Memorial was the first hospital in America to install a newly approved system for full automation of pre-transfusion testing.

Ramsey has published book chapters, reviews and over 50 articles in various publications, including Transfusion Medicine Reviews, Transfusion and Best Practice & Research Clinical Haematology.

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