As a way of recognizing and honoring the efforts of apheresis professionals, clinicians and others who further the practice of apheresis and patient care, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is pleased to announce the 2020 Advancing Apheresis Award: Advancing access to apheresis procedures for sickle cell disease patients.
The Advancing Apheresis Award is designed to support those who are making a difference in the use of therapeutic apheresis and cell collections around the globe. Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies will award USD $10,000 to one winning site chosen by an external, global committee of key opinion leaders.
To ensure fairness, the award committee will have global representation from external key opinion leaders. Committee members will be selected based on their leadership roles in the practice of patient care in therapeutic apheresis. Each application will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
Applications will be accepted beginning on 15 September and must be received by 15 January 2021.
The following terms and conditions apply for every submission:
Who is eligible for the award? Are applicants from all countries eligible?
Healthcare organizations from around the world that are interested in advancing apheresis are encouraged to apply.
How much funding is available?
USD $10,000 will be awarded to a single site to be used in its efforts to advance peripheral venous access in apheresis procedures. As part of the application process, sites are required to outline their plans for the award and to demonstrate their leadership in patient care for consideration by the award committee.
Is this award given to an individual?
No, this award is given to a healthcare organization.
Who is on the award committee?
To ensure fairness, the committee will consist of independent key opinion leaders from around the world. Committee members will be selected based on their leadership role in the practice of patient care in therapeutic apheresis. The committee has sole decision-making authority in determining the winner and runner-up and will score applications based on predetermined criteria listed above.
Once the grant is awarded, will there be any required milestones to report to Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies?
Yes, the winning team is required to share its outcomes through a report at the completion of the project.
NHSBT is using the grant to purchase an additional ultrasound device and provide an open access online vascular access training program.
UHN is using the grant to fund teaching programs, purchase phantom arms for training and skills maintenence, develop electronic training materials, and collect, analyze and publish data about the outcomes of making peripheral ultrasound-guided venous access the standard of care.
UCLH is sharing its successes and best practices for collecting cells for immunotherapy.
AUH is advancing the practice of venous access through education on the use of peripheral ultrasound-guided venous access.
SGPIMS formed an online platelet donor registry for optimizing patient care by supplying ABO-matched platelets. In addition, they promoted the use of apheresis through their position at the center of the telemedicine program throughout India and Southeast Asia.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center created a mobile application to educate patients, nurses, clinical providers and transfusion medicine trainees to raise the awareness and understanding of apheresis medicine.
Royal Children’s Hospital used the educational grant to establish standard operating procedures for red blood cell exchange and improve educational support provided to children with sickle cell disease.