Success Stories
Integrating Virginia Into a National Transfusion History Sharing System:
The Alloantibody Exchange
The Alloantibody Exchange, founded by clinical pathologist and informatics expert Dr. Ronald “George” Hauser, is transforming transfusion safety by enabling blood banks to securely share patients’ antibody and antigen histories across hospitals and state lines. While most people think blood matching is limited to ABO and Rh types, complex antibody histories can impact patient safety—especially when individuals receive care at multiple institutions, where critical information is often fragmented or difficult to access. With support from the Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation (CTF), the initiative successfully expanded its partnerships across Virginia, integrating the state into a growing national network. This advancement reduces manual record searches, shortens testing times, alleviates staffing pressures, and ultimately improves patient outcomes. As more Virginia hospitals join, the Alloantibody Exchange is helping create a more connected, efficient, and safer transfusion ecosystem nationwide.
Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation Invests in Virginia’s MLS Workforce
Medical laboratory scientists (MLS) play a critical yet often unseen role in patient care, supporting every transfusion and diagnostic test, but the profession is facing a significant national workforce shortage. In response, the Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation (CTF) has taken action to strengthen the pipeline in Virginia by establishing the fully endowed Dr. Robert E. Carden Professorship in Immunohematology at VCU’s College of Health Professions. Named in honor of Dr. Carden’s decades of leadership in transfusion medicine, the professorship will help attract expert educators, expand research, and train the next generation of MLS professionals. This investment not only raises awareness of the growing shortage but also ensures that Virginia’s hospitals are better equipped with skilled talent—ultimately advancing safer transfusions and improved patient outcomes.
Knowledge is Power: AABB Scholarships
Overview: CTF & AABB Impact
The Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation (CTF) is advancing transfusion medicine in Virginia by funding attendance at the AABB Annual Meeting, the nation’s leading blood banking conference. By supporting professionals and students who otherwise lack access to continuing education, CTF ensures they return with the latest knowledge, stronger professional networks, and innovative ideas—ultimately improving patient safety and care across the Commonwealth.
UVA Health
At UVA Health, Dr. Jenna Khan and her team leveraged CTF support to attend AABB, gaining critical insights that are already shaping patient care. From connecting with EMS leaders to expand prehospital transfusion programs to resolving regulatory challenges, the experience equipped UVA with practical solutions that enhance compliance, efficiency, and lifesaving capabilities.
VCU Health
At VCU Health, Gina Buscema used the AABB platform to present research, expand her expertise in patient blood management, and engage with national peers. Exposure to cutting-edge topics and real-world patient stories reinforced the importance of staying at the forefront of transfusion medicine, strengthening both her professional growth and VCU’s leadership in the field.
Centra Health
For Centra Health, Mary Malok’s attendance helped rebuild professional networks and benchmark operations against national standards. She returned with actionable insights on modernizing processes like platelet storage and optimizing blood bank systems, along with renewed collaboration opportunities that support continuous improvement.
Student Perspective (ODU)
For MLS student McKenzie Creekmore, attending AABB was a transformative experience that deepened her understanding of transfusion medicine and confirmed her passion for the field. Seeing classroom concepts applied in real-world settings and connecting with professionals inspired her to pursue a future in blood banking with confidence and enthusiasm.
CTF Impact
Through an investment of over $100,000, CTF funded 29 scholarships to attend AABB, delivering measurable impact across Virginia’s healthcare system. By equipping professionals with cutting-edge knowledge and fostering collaboration, CTF is strengthening the transfusion workforce and ensuring better patient outcomes—demonstrating that investing in education directly translates to safer, more effective care.
Cultivating the Next Generation in Transfusion Medicine
Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS) and Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLT) are essential to modern healthcare, yet the field faces a growing national shortage driven by limited awareness and constrained training resources. To address this, the Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation (CTF) is partnering with Virginia universities to provide scholarships, modern lab equipment and hands-on learning opportunities—strengthening the pipeline of skilled professionals and ensuring students are better prepared to enter clinical environments.
Shantavia Singleton’s journey brings this impact to life. Originally a pre-med student, she discovered MLS as a path that allowed her to contribute meaningfully to patient care without direct patient interaction. After earning degrees in cell and molecular biology and MLS, she continued her education at VCU, where mentorship introduced her to immunohematology and the broader opportunities within blood banking. CTF played a pivotal role in her journey—providing scholarship support that enabled her to pursue advanced education while gaining hands-on experience working in blood banking at VCU Health. With continued support, she is now pursuing her Specialist in Blood Banking (SBB) certification, further deepening her expertise. Inspired by the guidance and opportunities she received, Shantavia hopes to pay it forward by mentoring future students and increasing awareness of MLS careers, particularly among underrepresented communities. Her story highlights how CTF’s investment not only removes financial barriers but also empowers the next generation of transfusion medicine leaders.
The Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation Specialists in Blood Banking Program at Blood Assurance
The Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation (CTF), founded in 2013, began with a focus on supporting transfusion medicine research but quickly recognized an opportunity to make a greater impact by addressing critical workforce gaps in Virginia. Specifically, hospitals faced a shortage of Specialists in Blood Banking (SBBs), leaving complex testing to external labs and slowing patient care. By investing in the development of in-house SBB expertise, CTF identified a path to faster results, improved clinical collaboration and better patient outcomes.
To solve this, CTF partnered with Blood Assurance to launch an accredited Specialist in Blood Banking program, combining online and hands-on training and supported by CTF-funded scholarships. Since its launch in 2023, the program has grown steadily and is already producing highly skilled specialists who are transforming care in their communities. Graduates like Tommy Trevilian now serve as in-house experts, supporting clinicians, improving workflows and enhancing transfusion services across multiple counties. Through this innovative partnership, CTF is not only strengthening the talent pipeline but also elevating the quality and accessibility of transfusion care across the region.
Advancing Tech and Patient Care
Transfusion medicine is a high-stakes field where smaller hospitals often face resource constraints and rely on generalists rather than specialized staff—creating challenges in maintaining precision and efficiency. Cyndee Jones of Valley Health recognized these gaps firsthand and set out to modernize and standardize transfusion practices across a network of rural hospitals. Partnering with the Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation (CTF), Valley Health secured funding to implement advanced ORTHO VISION™ Analyzers, replacing labor-intensive manual processes with automated, highly accurate testing that reduces human error and frees up staff to focus on other critical responsibilities.
The impact has been transformative. Automation has improved speed, consistency and confidence in lab results, while standardizing equipment across facilities has strengthened collaboration between smaller hospitals and central hubs. Beyond Virginia, the investment has enabled Valley Health to extend these improvements into neighboring West Virginia, ensuring more consistent, high-quality care across the entire system. This partnership demonstrates how targeted funding and innovation can elevate rural healthcare, ensuring that every patient—regardless of location—benefits from safer, more reliable transfusion services.
Impacting Education Through Scholarships and Funding
The Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation (CTF) is playing a transformative role in advancing education and professional development in transfusion medicine by removing one of the field’s biggest barriers: access. Recognizing that ongoing education is essential—but often underfunded—CTF strategically partnered with organizations like the Virginia Chapter of ASCLS and AABB to fund conference programming, reduce registration costs and provide travel scholarships. These investments have expanded access for both students and working professionals, significantly increasing participation, strengthening professional networks and ensuring that Virginia’s transfusion workforce remains at the forefront of innovation, regulation and patient safety.
CTF’s impact is both personal and profound, as seen in the experiences of scholarship recipients like Tommy Trevilian and Shantavia Singleton. For Tommy, an SBB-certified professional, attending the AABB conference was critical to maintaining his certification—yet his hospital lacked the budget to support continuing education. CTF’s travel scholarship removed that barrier, enabling him to attend, earn 15 continuing education credits and stay current in a rapidly evolving field without financial strain. For Shantavia, CTF’s support extended beyond access—it accelerated her development as an emerging leader. Through a CTF-funded scholarship, she attended AABB as a student, where exposure to experts, advanced content and peer networks deepened her knowledge and confidence. Now working night shifts with limited supervisory support, she applies what she learned to guide colleagues, answer complex questions and lead patient workups in real time. Together, their stories demonstrate how CTF’s investment doesn’t just fund attendance—it builds expertise, confidence and leadership that directly enhance patient care.