FORT WASHINGTON, PA — ECRI has recognized Cottage Health with its 2026 Health Technology Excellence Award after the California health system implemented a blood management program that reduced expired blood product waste, lowered costs, and improved the availability of donated blood for patients.
The nonprofit healthcare safety organization announced the annual award honors an ECRI member facility that demonstrates excellence in using health technology to improve patient safety, reduce costs, or strengthen operational performance.
Cottage Health, based in Santa Barbara, Calif., earned the recognition for an interfacility blood transfer program that redistributes red blood cell units nearing expiration from lower-volume facilities to its Level I trauma center, where demand is higher and the blood is more likely to be used before expiring.
According to ECRI, the initiative generates more than $100,000 in annual financial benefits while helping preserve donated blood supplies for patient care. The organization also cited the program’s role in reducing waste of a limited community resource.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from ECRI,” Lisa Moore, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Cottage Health, stated. “By reducing blood waste, this program helps ensure a lifesaving resource is available for patients when they need it while honoring the generosity of every blood donor.”
The program identifies red blood cell units within 10 days of expiration and transfers them to the trauma center using validated temperature-controlled transport containers. ECRI reported that the system includes documentation and quality assurance measures to maintain product traceability throughout the transfer process.
As the initiative matured, the transfusion rate for transferred blood units increased from 85.2% in its first year to more than 98% in subsequent years, according to ECRI.
“Cottage Health has demonstrated what is possible when organizations treat health technology management and resource stewardship as system-based challenges,” Scott Lucas, ECRI’s vice president of devices, therapeutics, and technology, stated. “The team created a reliable, sustainable model that improves patient care, reduces waste, and strengthens the organization’s bond with the community, showing how systems-focused technology management can deliver lasting value.”
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