Synergies between blood center and hospital quality systems

Blood centers have expertise in following federally mandated standards and establishing rigorous quality systems. Medicare participating hospitals and their laboratories must be compliant with the requirements of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Following standards and experiencing unannounced surveys allow blood centers and hospitals to organize and strengthen their patient safety efforts and achieve high-reliability operations. Blood centers provide essential services to hospitals and laboratories according to written contracts; therefore, blood centers need to understand the CMS requirements for blood administration activities and supplier management within these written agreements. Sharing expertise gained from experience with the US Food and Drug Administration and professional standard-setting organizations may be an opportunity for blood centers to build deeper customer relationships and assist in the delivery of high-quality patient care.