Cottage Health Wins 2026 ECRI Award for Blood Waste Reduction

The program addresses a chronic challenge in hospital logistics: blood products expiring before they can be used. Cottage Health developed a protocol to identify units within 10 days of expiration at lower-utilization facilities and transport them to high-demand trauma centers. Success hinges on specialized temperature-controlled coolers and rigorous documentation, which ensure product integrity throughout the transit process. The impact is measurable, with transfusion rates for transferred units rising from 85.2% in the program's inaugural year to over 98% in subsequent periods.

Beyond financial savings, the initiative serves as a commitment to blood donors who provide resources with the expectation of patient benefit. Scott Lucas, ECRI’s Vice President of Devices, Therapeutics, and Technology, noted that the model demonstrates the efficacy of treating resource stewardship as a system-based challenge rather than a series of isolated events. This year’s runner-up, Clínica Imbanaco in Cali, Colombia, received recognition for eliminating the use of high-impact anesthetic gases, achieving a 60.6% reduction in its carbon footprint while maintaining clinical safety standards.