Male researcher in a white labcoat  observing information on a computer screen.

Per its four-part mission, New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe) seeks to train and educate the next generation of blood banking and transfusion medicine leaders. They fulfill this goal by providing a variety of educational opportunities including lectures, webinars, online resources, clinical rotations, fellowship programs, and more — each giving customers and colleagues the tools they need to excel in their field.

​​The Essentials of Transfusion Medicine Webinar Series (ETMWS) is a great example of this commitment. Although the 2021 series has ended, let’s take a look at how it went and what you can expect next from NYBCe.

What Was the Essentials of Transfusion Medicine Webinar Series?

For years, New York Blood Center offered an in-person, week-long course on transfusion medicine and blood banking practices. When the 2020 course was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the curriculum was revised, the format was changed to virtual, and the Essentials of Transfusion Medicine Webinar Series was created. For the first time, this educational content became available beyond the limits of geography.

Running from January to July 2021, ETMWS was a series of live, weekly webinars focused on key topics like donor recruitment, adverse effects of transfusion, antibody identification, and more. The intended audience for this series was:

  • Residents/Fellows
  • Attending Physicians
  • Medical Laboratory Technologists
  • Nurses
  • Students
  • Educators

The transition from an in-person course to a virtual program was a success. “The response has been overly positive,” said NYBCe’s Manager of Education and Training for the Immunohematology Reference and Genomics Laboratories, Lynsi Rahorst, MHPE, MT(ASCP) SBBCM, in a May 2021 interview.

“For our very first webinar back in January, we had purchased a subscription to a webinar platform that could host 150 participants,” Rahorst continued. “In the first week, we realized 210 people had registered and needed to upgrade! It was a good problem to have.”

This success continued throughout the 23-week series, so much so that NYBCe has decided to keep the program available on-demand — but only for a limited time. Block 1 is no longer available, but Block 2 is still currently on the site until September 30, 2021, so don’t miss out!

What You Can Gain From The On-Demand Webinar Series

ETMWS contains five blocks, each focusing on a different topic. The blocks include:

  • Block 1: Donors, Collection & Processing
    • No Longer Available
  • Block 2: Immunohematology/Genomics
    • No Longer Available
  • Block 3: Transfusion Support
    • Available until October 31, 2021
  • Block 4: Hemostasis
    • Available until November 30, 2021
  • Block 5: Convalescent Plasma, Cell Therapy & Apheresis
    • Available until December 31, 2021

Each block features some of the leading experts in the field, providing critical education on important transfusion medicine topics. The level of instruction ranges from basic to intermediate.

NYBCe is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. Those who watch the available blocks on demand and in their entirety as well as complete and submit an online evaluation will receive a P.A.C.E. certificate via email.

Other Educational Resources From NYBCe

Although the ETMWS videos are only available for viewing for a limited time, this is just one of many educational resources that NYBCe offers.

The Enterprise provides quality educational material to professionals and anyone interested in learning more about blood banking and transfusion medicine. The organization’s goal is to fill the knowledge gaps that exist regarding blood donation, collection, and transfusion. Like ETMWS, many of NYBCe’s programs, such as eLearning in Transfusion Medicine, also offer P.A.C.E. credit.

If you’re looking for other opportunities, check out NYBCe’s new Education Resources Webpage. This page serves as a professional education hub for all the learning programs offered by NYBCe, including special presentations and lectures by NYBCe subject matter experts, videos of immunohematology methods, specialty blood bank resources, and online modules for MLS students and residents.

The Education Resources Webpage is updated regularly, so it’s important to keep checking back to take advantage of even more opportunities to learn from some of the field’s most innovative specialists.

The success of ETMWS is a clear indicator that the desire to learn is there. NYBCe is happy to offer this page as a resource for those who want to build their knowledge. The new hub makes that access very convenient.

If you’d like to help NYBCe continue to offer convenient, high-quality educational content and support their mission to train the next generation of blood banking and transfusion medicine leaders, please consider making a financial contribution online today. Access the Essentials of Transfusion Medicine Webinar Series on demand.