CareSelect™ Blood marries NDSC’s seamless approach to integrated CDS with Mayo Clinic’s transfusion and PBM expertise. Jamie Kelly provides insight about how this newly launched solution will impact patient blood management for both patients and providers.
Jamie Kelly
Account Executive, NDSC
Jamie joined NDSC in January of this year, with a background rooted in health IT from the ambulatory EHR field. She serves as an Account Executive and collaborates with the NDSC and Mayo Clinic teams to help advance NDSC’s newly launched CareSelect™ Blood product.
Approximately 50% of transfusions aren’t clinically indicated. In addition to wasting resources, these unindicated transfusions cost billions of dollars for health systems and can cause adverse reactions for the patient. Reducing blood use saves health systems, patients, and insurance carriers money. More importantly, it reduces the length of hospital stays for patients, mitigates waste and saves lives.
What is your role at NDSC and what aspects do you enjoy the most?
In addition to selling CareSelect solutions, I have taken on the role of collaborating with the NDSC and Mayo Clinic teams to help advance NDSC’s newly launched CareSelect™ Blood product. This entails being the product expert, knowing the field of patient blood management and ensuring that the platform’s capabilities are properly communicated.
My favorite part about being on the NDSC sales team is the collaborative and supportive team effort. We all work together and help one another with no questions asked, and we have fun doing it!
What are you most excited about for your team this year?
I am most excited about bringing CareSelect Blood to market. It’s always both a thrill and a challenge when you have a new product to sell. The fact that this solution is different than anything else NDSC currently has on the market makes it that much more exciting. CareSelect Blood represents the expanded relationship between NDSC and Mayo Clinic, marrying our technology with their operational consulting.
Why is patient blood management (PBM) important to you?
Blood is a finite and costly resource. Even so, blood transfusions are one of the top five overused medical interventions nationwide. CareSelect Blood is a much-needed solution to help guide appropriate use. Approximately 50% of transfusions aren’t clinically indicated. In addition to wasting resources, these unindicated transfusions cost billions of dollars for health systems and can cause adverse reactions for the patient. Reducing blood use saves health systems, patients, and insurance carriers money. More importantly, it reduces the length of hospital stays for patients, mitigates waste and saves lives.
Can you explain the current landscape of patient blood management?
PBM is a well-documented and validated approach for health systems to improve profitability as well as patient outcomes. However, most health systems have only scratched the service in their PBM efforts. Red Blood Cells (RBCs) are an easy place to start, but that can’t be the end. There is so much more that can be done that is often overlooked. One in 10 hospitalizations still has a transfusion associated with it, and we see an opportunity for that number to be reduced.
Why is there a need for a Clinical Decision Support (CDS) solution, such as CareSelect Blood?
While we know a successful PBM program must start with education and understanding, the power comes with the ability to impact change – and then to measure that impact – at the point of care. CareSelect Blood marries NDSC’s seamless approach to integrated CDS with Mayo Clinic’s transfusion and PBM expertise. This unique solution removes the barriers often presented by over-burdened IT departments, and helps put the required organizational structure and governance in place.
Can you elaborate on the components of CareSelect Blood and how they were developed?
This comes back to our partner, Mayo Clinic. After working with one another to develop CareSelect Lab, we saw patient blood management as the clear next step in our partnership. We knew that, in true Mayo Clinic fashion, any PBM program they could create would go above and beyond anything available on the market today. Mayo Clinic pushed past market standards like hemoglobin thresholds and blood unit limitations to tackle a much more comprehensive set of pervasive issues across all blood products and blood management. We couldn’t be happier with the 100 plus rules they’ve authored in combination with the end-to-end consulting that will operationalize the program.
It’s also important to note Mayo Clinic’s condition-driven approach. Blanket alerts aren’t firing across the organization. They are tailored to the setting and even the individual patient. This creates a targeted and meaningful approach to help guide providers.
What aspect of NDSC’s CareSelect Blood do you find most valuable and why?
It’s hard to pinpoint a specific rule, module or program aspect. I find the value stems from the fully integrated program that is tailored via customized engagement for every client.
Are there tangible examples of the benefits of implementing CareSelect Blood into an EHR?
Mayo Clinic Hospital – Rochester saw a $5.3 million reduction in one year across all blood products, and that was just in purchase price alone. As a nation, we spend upwards of $6 billion annually on blood, creating a huge opportunity to cut back. When reviewing the potential in the market, we are confident our clients can realize a 20-30% reduction in overall blood product use, with aggressive health systems achieving up to a 50% reduction.
Looking forward, can we expect CareSelect Blood to evolve as the needs in PBM change?
Absolutely. If there is one thing we can count on in healthcare, it’s constant change. CareSelect expanded from CareSelect Imaging to now include Lab and Blood solutions. We already have other solutions in the works, and our existing offerings will continue to progress and develop as the industry necessitates.
Outside of your professional life, what do you do for fun?
I live with my husband, Matt and black lab, Henry. Outside of work, I am a trained yoga instructor and an untrained dog whisperer. I also love to travel, watch way too much true crime TV, and brunch like it’s a sport.
