Allegheny Health Network Names Medical Director for Patient Blood Management & Bloodless Medicine Program
Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) October 06, 2016 -- Allegheny Health Network (AHN), home to one of the nation’s most comprehensive bloodless medicine programs, has named Erin Suydam, MD, its Medical Director of Patient Blood Management & Bloodless Medicine. Dr. Suydam, who has been part of AHN’s Level I Trauma Surgical Service team since 2014, also will serve as Chair of the Network’s system-wide Patient Blood Management Steering Committee.
Since 1998, AHN’s Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery (CBMS) at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) has provided an option for thousands of patients who request treatment without the use of blood or blood products. Whether because of religious convictions or concerns over the safety of blood transfusions, a growing number of people each year are expressing an interest in bloodless medicine programs. AGH healthcare professionals perform numerous highly complex surgical procedures without requiring blood transfusion, including organ transplantation and brain, vascular, gynecological, cardiac, orthopaedic and gastrointestinal surgery.
“It is crucial that everyone involved in the treatment of a bloodless medicine patient understand and adhere to a certain philosophy,” said Tony Farah, MD, Chief Medical Officer for AHN. “In her new role, Dr. Suydam will help ensure that our caregivers remain up to date on the latest developments in transfusion-free medicine so that we are able to continue to provide the highest level care to those patients who require it.”
Dr. Suydam is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine who completed her general surgery residency at the Medical College of Georgia followed by a surgical critical care fellowship at the University of Hawaii. She also holds a certificate in patient blood management (PBM) from the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management.
PBM expands on AGH’s expertise in the field of bloodless medicine. PBM supports evidence-based transfusion practices and seeks to provide the right care, in the right setting, in the right way, every time for all patients.
About Allegheny Health Network
Allegheny Health Network, part of Highmark Health, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is comprised of eight hospitals, including its flagship academic medical center Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Valley Hospital, Canonsburg Hospital, Forbes Hospital, Jefferson Hospital, Saint Vincent Hospital, Westfield Memorial Hospital and West Penn Hospital; a research institute; Health + Wellness Pavilions; an employed physician organization, home and community based health services and a group purchasing organization. The Network employs approximately 17,000 people and has more than 2,400 physicians on its medical staff. The Network also serves as a clinical campus for Temple University School of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
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Doug Braunsdorf, Allegheny Health Network, +1 412-522-7112, [email protected]
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