Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center Blood Conservation Program

Respecting the Wishes of Our Patients
A Message from the CEO
Marica Manker
Chief Executive Officer
Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center

At Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center, we believe that medical care should allow for personal choices. Many patients request transfusion alternatives because of their personal convictions, while others simply want to minimize the risk of adverse reactions to blood transfusions.

Despite all the precautions taken to ensure a safe blood supply, the possibility of transmitting diseases through blood transfusions cannot be eliminated. By avoiding transfusions, a patient reduces the risk of developing post-operative infections, experiencing an allergic response to the transfused blood or contracting a blood-borne disease, such as hepatitis.

Clinical data shows that transfusion alternatives lead to faster recovery, fewer infections and complications, reduced hospital stays, and lower healthcare costs. Additionally, blood conservation helps to reduce blood shortages, an increasing problem across the nation.

The Blood Conservation Program at Orange Coast Memorial
Although transfusion alternatives have been around for many years, recent technological advances make it possible to perform some of the most complicated procedures without the use of blood or blood products. Access to these latest advancements helps us ensure maximum safety and patient comfort.

At Orange Coast, blood conservation is accomplished through the use of the very latest pharmaceutical agents, specialized equipment and sophisticated surgical techniques.

The Blood Conservation Program at Orange Coast Memorial uses proven experiences for blood conservation. We’ve consulted with international leaders in the field to find the best way to care for specific injuries and illnesses without the use of blood or blood products.

We’ve taken these experiences and developed specific guidelines encompassing a wide range of elective and emergency procedures. They help ensure better outcomes and a positive hospital experience.

In addition, our medical team has affiliations with the best blood conservation programs around the globe. These connections enable our physicians to confer and collaborate with the world’s most experienced specialists in transfusion alternatives, further ensuring that Orange Coast Memorial patients have access to the latest, most effective treatments.

Experienced People Who Understand Your Needs
Beyond advanced techniques, the Blood Conservation Program at Orange Coast Memorial combines a team of dedicated physicians, nurses and other professionals ready to provide the personal attention necessary for restoring optimal health.

Blood conservation can be applied to nearly every medical specialty available at Orange Coast Memorial. Physicians committed to the practice of avoiding the use of blood include:

One Patient’s Story
“I felt very safe and comfortable at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center. The staff respected my personal beliefs and preferences,” says Mrs. Lievanos.

Mary Ann Lievanos is deeply committed to her faith, refusing any blood transfusions or major blood components. Healthy most of her life, she was faced with three major illnesses and subsequent surgeries over a six month period— including colorectal cancer, breast cancer and an emergency removal of her gallbladder.

Thanks to sophisticated surgical techniques, the use of leading-edge pharmaceutical agents and careful planning, physicians at Orange Coast Memorial were able to successfully treat Mrs. Lievanos while adhering to her personal beliefs regarding blood transfusions. The principals and protocols of blood conservation were applied and Mrs. Lievanos recovered fully from each of her surgical procedures.

“In Mrs. Lievanos’ case, we used blood conservation methods because of her personal beliefs, but the same principles can be successfully utilized for all patients,” explains Dr, Randall Moore, a member of Mrs. Lievanos surgical care team.

Dinesh Patel, M.D. - Medical Director
Dr. Dinesh Patel strongly believes in staying at the leading edge of technology in the medical field. Throughout his medical career, he has remained a committed supporter of alternative methods of medicine to meet the needs of our diverse community. As Medical Director of the Blood Conservation Program at Orange Coast Memorial, Dr. Patel leads a team of skilled physicians who believe that providing new therapies and medical alternatives to blood transfusions are a viable choice for many patients and the only choice for some. He leads this effort by providing ongoing education to his colleagues and other clinical professionals who are committed to the pursuit of excellence in healthcare.

Dr. Patel is board-certified in internal medicine and serves as Member-at-Large on the Medical Executive Committee at Orange Coast Memorial. He is not only a dedicated and trusted physician, but a compassionate individual with the health and well-being of his patients continually at the forefront of his mind.

Location Information
Location Details

Blood Conservation Program  at  Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center