Internal Medicine Center, Blood Conservation to open Anemia Center at Banner Good Samaritan

PHOENIX (Dec. 4, 2006) – Patients dealing with anemia and iron deficiencies are on the rise. Reports indicate that over 35 percent of patients preparing for surgery may suffer from anemia. To assist prospective patients prior to surgery and to reduce postoperative complications resulting from anemia, the Internal Medicine Center and Blood Conservation Medicine department at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center have established the Banner Good Samaritan Anemia Center to bolster a patient’s blood count and reduce the need for blood transfusions.

The Anemia Center, which opened in December, will be directed by Mary Ellen Dirlam, M.D., and Alan Leibowitz, M.D., with assistance from Richard Melseth, director of Blood Conservation Medicine. The Outpatient Treatment Center will provide anemia therapy for patients.

Melseth states there is a need for this type of presurgical awareness and treatment. “Our clinicians will view anemia as a significant clinical condition rather than an abnormal laboratory value,” Melseth said. “Preoperative preparation protocols often do not include the laboratory screening tests necessary to detect and diagnose anemia within the appropriate timeframe that would allow for the implementation of therapy directed to correct anemia. Preoperative therapy that includes medicines (hormone and IV iron) to stimulate red blood cell production in the bone marrow can effectively turn surgical patients into their own blood bank.”

Nationwide, over 55 percent of red blood cell transfusions are administered in elective surgery classified as being high-risk for blood loss.

“There are several reasons why the Anemia Center will benefit patients,” Melseth said. “Patients with preoperative anemia are more than three times as likely to receive blood transfusion, so physicians can help to reduce the need for outside blood during surgery by treating preoperative anemia. Also, morbidity and mortality after surgery is significantly associated with the presence of preoperative anemia; by treating this, we can improve patient safety.”

The Anemia Center is now accepting referrals for elective surgery patients diagnosed with anemia. For additional information, please call the Anemia Center at (602) 239-3927 or visit www.Bannerhealth.com, keyword "BGS Anemia."

Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center has been providing medical care to Arizona and the Southwest since 1911. Banner Good Samaritan is owned and operated by Phoenix-based Banner Health, a not-for-profit organization, and is a flagship hospital within the system. The hospital was recently named to U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” list for Endocrinology, Heart Care and Heart Surgery, and Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 2005, Banner Good Samaritan was recognized as a Magnet facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the highest honor a hospital can earn for its nursing care and practices.

The Banner Good Samaritan Internal Medicine Center is one of the largest primary care offices in the Valley. Physicians expertly and compassionately care for patients from the ages of 14 and up providing both preventive care and individualized treatment of complex chronic illnesses. The faculty physicians are comprised of seven board certified physicians, two of whom are also board certified in Geriatric Medicine. The faculty works closely with residents from the Banner Good Samaritan Internal Medicine Residency Program, geriatric fellows and medical students. The IMC's involvement with the education of resident physicians enhances patient care as well as allows the patients to be part of the process of educating a new generation of physicians.

Blood Conservation Medicine is dedicated to providing medical and surgical care while reducing or eliminating the need for blood transfusions. Our program uses a team approach to assess a patient’s blood management needs and develop a plan of care using the latest drugs, technology and techniques to decrease blood loss and to enhance a patient’s own blood supply. We’re responding to a growing number of patients in our community who want safer and more effective options to blood transfusion.

Contact:
Banner Good Samaritan Public Relations
(602) 239-4411