"Blood management is the poster child for cost savings and quality outcomes. It doesn’t just save money, it is the right thing to do for our patients."

"This is a spectacular program. What I learned is that blood is a limited precious resource and that we have a duty to conserve for others, as well as for the benefit of our patients. It’s a patient safety issue."

"It’s really wonderful that we will be able to move practice to the cutting edge so that we are providing the best care we can for patients here at Eisenhower. We can move to a place that increases safety for patients."

"This needs to be the model for how all new programs at the hospital are executed."

"Strategic Healthcare Group’s blood management program focuses on the appropriate utilization of blood products, which the American Red Cross strongly supports. Their approach is consistent with our mission to provide the best possible service to our hospitals and optimal outcomes for their patients."

"By using blood appropriately, we have a great opportunity to improve care delivery and improve financial performance. From my perspective as a CEO and as a physician, it is hard to ignore an initiative that improves the bottom line and quality care. We have been extremely satisfied [with SHG]. Their approach is the right approach. They look at this from a scientific perspective, which helps with changing behavior. Their approach is systematic and based in good science and logic"

"In my over 20 years of health care experience, Strategic Healthcare Group’s team members are the best consultants we have ever used. The amount of literature review … knowledge and first-hand experience the team has was extremely beneficial. They don’t rush through the process. They really got to know our organization and were able to customize the benefits for us. It’s not just a cookie-cutter approach. Our savings through better blood management in policy and procedure implementation—over $400,000 so far (at six months)."

"We are being rewarded financially... but the real benefit is higher quality care and improved outcomes. The external assistance is needed--it takes a lot of time to build the expertise on your own. [SHG] can translate all their expertise and learning to your organization. They exceeded our expectations multifold. We couldn't have done what we did without them."

"When [SHG] did the audit, we found a lot of opportunities from a safety, quality and cost point of view. While the costs get the attention of management, the safety and quality aspects get the attention of physicians…I’ve been very impressed with the people on the team, and their work product was excellent. Their presentation skills were good. They’ve motivated leadership across both hospital campuses to take action."

"Transfusion medicine has evolved amazingly and we still have a lot of physicians out there practicing medicine that they may have learned 20 or 30 years ago that was taught by their resident and nowadays doesn’t apply.  Strategic Healthcare Group goes into the hospital, they look at the records, they look and see how transfusions are being done and then they can start making the appropriate changes…this really is such a vital link.  The beauty of the [Strategic Blood Management™] program is it looks across all service lines, you’re not just going for one area like surgery, you’re going into wherever blood is used.  It really becomes a great partnership; it helps the blood center, it helps the hospitals you serve, and really the community."

"I have really enjoyed working with [Strategic Healthcare Group] and would recommend them to anybody. The group’s service and follow through are at the top of the business. I’ve been very pleased. For other hospitals considering the blood utilization process, I say, ‘Do it. It’s the right thing to do."

"My biggest lesson learned was that we as an organization lacked the understanding of how dangerous blood is. That was an unknown to me! There is a patient outcome reason for this process. It’s not just about the money. Cost savings is a by-product. It’s about great care delivery. That’s a better way to get people at the table…Having a well-rounded group with the diversity was helpful. They [SHG] could talk the language of staff and have a relationship with them, because they have been in their shoes before."

"The Indiana Blood Center like all community blood programs is responsible for providing hospitals with a continuous and safe supply of blood and blood components. And there are times when our blood center, like any blood center throughout the United States experiences shortages and one of the most frustrating parts of all of this for us as blood providers is that we don’t have an understanding that blood at the hospital level is used in the most appropriate manner.  So, for us, having a partner [SHG] in the hospital to look at utilization, to make sure that it’s appropriate, to make sure that blood supplies are used wisely and judiciously and in the most meaningful manner for the patient is a real plus for our program.  Through lower utilization, we’ve been able to increase our reserves and increase blood available for other hospitals."

"We had an in-house blood management program for three years. We were at a point where we couldn’t get much more done without the help…Working with Strategic Healthcare Group has been fantastic. It’s really changed our hospital’s philosophy. Dr. Hannon (President and CEO, SHG) goes far beyond just data collection; he also brings a teaching philosophy, and he is a great speaker.

Working with SHG has been cost-effective. Blood management is the hottest topic out there, especially in cardiac and orthopedic care. The risks of not using blood products wisely are also there. This will save us money in the long run, and reduce our length of stay and transfusion reactions. The main thing is that it will allow us to take better care of the patients."

"When you talk about blood management, no other organization can talk about all aspects with such clarity and accuracy. They [SHG] really give you a sense of the market nationally and how it affects you. The audit really opened our eyes and gave us the incentive to make blood management a major quality focus for our organization."

"I had been trying to decrease blood utilization before Strategic Healthcare Group came, but I think I had just touched the surface. They were able to reach groups of physicians that I hadn’t reached internally, and their data, research and suggestions were very helpful. Support from top administration was essential to the success of the audit. Since last year, we’ve seen around 11% decrease in the number of RBC units transfused at UAB. That’s approximately $1 million in savings, around 10% of our budget for blood. We still have other opportunities to decrease usage further; our goal for the next 12 months is another 10% reduction. We also face blood shortages here in Alabama, so our efforts have decreased our risk of critical shortages. I would rate SHG’s services as a 10 out of 10."