The 2009 Optimizing Cardiac Surgery^® Symposia Series Speakers

The 2009 Series features a cross-functional faculty that examines blood management from the perspectives of an anesthesiologist, perfusionist, scientist, and medical director.  Click here for program details or to register.

Jonathan H. Waters, MD
Chief of Anesthesia Services at Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Medical Director of the University of Pittsburgh Health System’s Perioperative Blood Management program.

 

Affiliations:

• Member of the Clinical Transfusion Medicine committee for the American Association of Blood Banks
• Serves on the Transfusion Committee for the American Society of Anesthesiologists
• Serves on the board of directors for the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management. 

Background: Prior to his arrival at Magee in 2004, Dr. Waters was Head of OB/GYN Anesthesia as well as the director of the Autotransfusion Service at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. During his tenure at the Clinic, Dr. Waters developed the first AABB accredited blood management program.

Areas of Clinical Interest: Dr. Waters areas of expertise include transfusion management, fluid resuscitation and acid-base theory. He has presented his research at the New York Academy of Medicine, Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, and the Mexican College of Anesthesiologists. He has also been an invited visiting professor at numerous universities including Duke and Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute. In addition to conducting research, Dr. Waters has served on the editorial board of the journal, Transfusion.

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Timothy Hannon, MD, MBA
Medical director of the St. Vincent Indianapolis Blood Management Program

Dr. Hannon is a member of the Blood Utilization, Quality Management and Audit Committees at St. Vincent Hospital Indianapolis, and he serves on several state and national committees, including the Medical Advisory Panel for the Indiana Blood Center. He is the past president of the Indiana State Association of Blood Banks. He has lectured extensively and has published several peer reviewed articles and book chapters related to perioperative blood management and blood management economics. Dr. Hannon is nationally recognized as a thought leader in blood management, and his ability to engage physicians, nurses and administrators has made him highly sought as a lecturer and consultant.

Appointments:

• President and Founder of Strategic Healthcare Group LLC
• Medical Director of the St. Vincent Indianapolis Blood Management Program
• Director of Perioperative Blood Conservation
• Director of research for the Department of Anesthesiology.

Education: After graduating magna cum laude in biology at the University of Evansville, Dr. Hannon completed his doctorate of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine where he received the Marcus Ravdin Medal for highest scholastic achievement. Dr. Hannon completed his Masters in Business Administration at Butler University in 2004.

Background and Residency: Dr. Hannon began a 12 year active duty Navy career with an internship at the Naval Medical Center, San Diego, followed by training at the Naval Aerospace Medicine Institute in Pensacola, Florida. Dr. Hannon served for five years as a Navy flight surgeon, and he was decorated with an Air Medal and a Navy Commendation Medal with a combat distinguishing device for missions flown during the Gulf War. Dr. Hannon left active duty in 1998 to return to Indianapolis, where he achieved the rank of Captain in the Navy Reserves. He then returned to the Naval Medical Center San Diego for his anesthesiology residency, serving as chief resident.

Specialty Training: After completing his residency, Dr. Hannon assumed the role of Director of Perioperative Blood Conservation, and was the Director of Research for the Department of Anesthesiology.

Areas of Clinical Interest: Dr. Hannon is a board certified anesthesiologist who serves as medical director of the St. Vincent Indianapolis Blood Management Program, a forward thinking program which he designed and implemented with great success. Since its establishment in 2001, the blood management program has reduced hospital transfusions by over 30%, resulting in annual savings of over 7,000 units of blood products and cost savings that exceed $4 million per year. The program has also substantially improved quality of care and increased patient safety, becoming a model for innovative quality improvement. Dr. Hannon is also the President and Founder of Strategic Healthcare Group LLC, a healthcare consulting group that is the national leader in safe, efficient and effective blood management solutions.

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Sean Murtha, CCP
Director of Perfusion Services

Appointments:

• Comprehensive Care Services, Inc.
• Memorial Regional Hospital
• Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital

Affiliations:  Florida Perfusion Society President

Education:
Bachelor of Science Degree from Hahnemann University in Cardiovascular Perfusion, Bachelor of Science Degree from Pennsylvania State University in Exercise Science. Currently Pursuing a Master of Science Degree From Northwestern University in Medical Informatics.

 

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David Fitzgerald, CCP
Chief of Perfusion at INOVA Heart and Vascular Institute, in Fairfax, Virginia,

 

 

Appointments:

• Chief of Cardiovascular Perfusion, INOVA Heart and Vascular Institute, Falls Church, VA (2005-present)
• Chief of Cardiovascular Perfusion, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD (2005-present)
• ECMO Coordinator, INOVA Heart and Vascular Institute, Falls Church, VA (2007-present).

Affiliations: Amsect Board of Directors- Zone IV (2007-present).

Education: BS in Biology, Bloomsburg University; BS in Cardiovascular Perfusion, Drexel University (formerly Allegheny University).

Areas of Clinical Interest: Mr. Fitzgerald introduced a series of changes to his perfusion protocols in May, 2007 after he made the surprising discovery that 60% of cardiac surgery patients at his institution were receiving a blood transfusion, half of them intraoperatively. After six months, only 28% of patients were receiving a transfusion. In addition, he documented other clinical benefits, including significant reductions in expected length of stay, re-operations for bleeding, and prolonged ventilator times.

Mr. Fitzgerald presented his calculation of associated cost savings: the new protocols are saving the institution nearly $6 million in annual savings over 1,100 patients:

• $2.2 million direct savings on blood used intraoperatively
• $2.0 million direct savings on blood used post–operatively
• $1.5 million savings from not using aprotinin

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