Other Ministry of Health Blood Programs
The Ontario Transfusion Coordinators (ONTraC) program is a provincial patient blood management program that enhances transfusion practice by interacting with physicians, nurses, and patients to promote patient blood management and alternatives to transfusion. Established in 2002, ONTraC is a unique initiative supported by the Ministry of Health. It is a network of nurse coordinators in 25 hospitals across the province who are responsible for implementing and managing patient blood management programs within their institutions. The program focuses on treating preoperative anemia in patients undergoing elective joint replacement surgery, cardiac surgery, and gynecological surgery. The program has been successful in reducing transfusion rates, improving clinical outcomes and has proven to be cost effective.
For more information please visit the ONTraC website at www.ontracprogram.com.
Factor concentrate products are very expensive. The objective of this program is to eliminate the expiry of factor concentrates in Ontario through the FCRP. Together with ORBCoN, the FCRP Coordinator aid in the redistribution and will work with hospitals and Canadian Blood Services to arrange shipping of any near outdating product. The FCRP Coordinator works closely with the Regional Hemophilia Programs to ensure it is used before expiry.
For more information please contact the Hemophilia Provincial Coordinator, Sarah Crymble at sarah.crymble@unityhealth.to.
The Ontario Transfusion Transmitted Injury Surveillance System (TTISS-ON) is contacted by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and is committed to the development of a comprehensive program for reporting Adverse Transfusion Events (ATEs) in Ontario as an important part of the national hemovigilance system implemented in 2001 by the Infectious Disease Prevention & Control Branch of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
To report a transfusion reaction, find out what reactions to report or become part of the TTISS-ON participating hospitals, more information is found at www.ttiss.mcmaster.ca.
For more information contact Joanne Duncan, MSc, CCRP, HRM, TTISS-ON Coordinator at duncanj@mcmaster.ca.