Enhancing Coordinated Care throughout the Health System
WILD ROSE, Wis. – Care teams at ThedaCare Medical Center-Wild Rose have secured new technology that will enhance comprehensive and coordinated care for patients.
According to Grifols, a company which develops plasma-derived therapies and is a leader in development of innovative diagnostic solutions, ThedaCare Medical Center-Wild Rose is the first hospital in North America to install the DG Reader Net semi-automated analyzer, used to facilitate pre-transfusion blood type compatibility testing. This analyzer offers laboratories computer-assisted reading and interpretation of immunohematology (IH) tests with automatic results that are uploaded to the Laboratory Information System.
“When our lab teams draw blood from a patient, we run a series of tests on that blood,” explained Rebecca Schultz, Blood Bank Key Operator at ThedaCare Medical Center-Wild Rose. “We screen for antibodies, antigens, as well as determine the blood type. The DG Reader Net semi-automated analyzer reads those results and exports everything to one centralized system.”
Before the analyzer, team members would need to read results and then manually enter them into the system.
“By using the analyzer, we believe it has ability to minimize the potential for error, and create additional time for our team members to provide care for our patients,” said Elizabeth Kujawa, Laboratory Manager at ThedaCare Medical Center-Wild Rose. “There is no room for mistakes when it comes to blood types and having accurate information in the event of a blood transfusion.”
Schultz explains that the reader can have results in minutes. The amount of time saved can help during those immediate responses where blood transfusions might be needed in Critical Access Hospitals like ThedaCare Medical Center-Wild Rose.
For the smallest and most specialized laboratories, DG Reader Net is designed to work as both a stand-alone solution or integrate with Grifols’ fully automated DG Gel system for a truly scalable solution. At ThedaCare, Information Services developed and implemented the software to allow hospitals to share the information.
“It’s very neat to use the program,” said Schultz. “If I have results in Wild Rose, a provider in Neenah can take a look at those results in real time and, if needed, provide recommendations for care. It’s another tool that allows us to provide comprehensive care across our system.”
Image Caption: Rebecca Schultz, Blood Bank Key Operator at ThedaCare Medical Center-Wild Rose andElizabeth Kujawa, Laboratory Manager at ThedaCare Medical Center-Wild Rose, help install the DG Reader Net semi-automated analyzer, used to facilitate pre-transfusion blood type compatibility testing.
About ThedaCare
For more than 110 years, ThedaCare® has been committed to improving the health of the communities it serves in northeast and central Wisconsin. The organization delivers care to more than 600,000 residents in 17 counties and employs approximately 7,000 health care professionals. ThedaCare has 180 points of care, including seven hospitals. As an organization committed to being a leader in Population Health, team members are dedicated to empowering people to live their best lives through easy access to individualized care, supporting each person’s own health and wellbeing. ThedaCare also partners with communities to understand unique needs, finding solutions together, and encouraging health awareness and action. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care
Network Member, giving specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a not-for-profit health system with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs, as well as primary care.
For more information, visit thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on social media. Members of the media should call Cassandra Wallace, Public and Media Relations Consultant at 920.442.0328 or the ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah switchboard at 920.729.3100 and ask for the marketing person on call.
About Grifols
Grifols is a global healthcare company founded in Barcelona in 1909 committed to improving the health and well-being of people around the world. Its four divisions – Bioscience, Diagnostic, Hospital and Bio Supplies – develop, produce and market innovative solutions and services that are sold in more than 100 countries.
Pioneers in the plasma industry, Grifols operates a growing network of donation centers worldwide. It transforms collected plasma into essential medicines to treat rare, chronic and, at times, life-threatening conditions. As a recognized leader in transfusion medicine, Grifols also offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions designed to enhance safety from donation to transfusion. In addition, the company supplies tools, information and services that enable hospitals, pharmacies and healthcare professionals to efficiently deliver expert medical care.
Grifols, with more than 24,000 employees in 30 countries, is committed to a sustainable business model that sets the standard for continuous innovation, quality, safety and ethical leadership.
In 2019, Grifols’ economic impact in its core countries of operation was 8.5 billion euros. The company also generated 148,000 jobs, including indirect and induced.
The company’s class A shares are listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange, where they are part of the Ibex-35 (MCE:GRF). Grifols non-voting class B shares are listed on the Mercado Continuo (MCE:GRF.P) and on the U.S. NASDAQ through ADRs (NASDAQ:GRFS).
For more information, please visit www.grifols.com
