Location: Royal Children's Hospital
Funding Requirement: $200,000 per year
In 2010, the HSCT Program performed the following number of procedures:
21 Allogenic Transplants
27 Autologous Re-Infusions
6 Bone Marrow Harvests and
27 Apheresis procedures for the procurement of haemopoietic progenitor cells (HPC)
BMT Laboratory
The Cell Therapy and Flow Cytometry Laboratory within the RCH Laboratory Services, program provides processing, storage and distribution for all HPC products used by the HSCT Programme. In compliance with legislative requirements, the Laboratory has achieved reaccreditation in 2010 by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA).
The Laboratory is involved in thge donor search process and facilities, through liaison with the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR), the search for the optimal donor for each patient.
BMT Nurse Coordinator
The BMT Nurse Coordinator is a pivotal member of the BMT Program who liaises with staff and facilities across the HSCT Program. The role serves as a link between techincal laboratory processes and the patient and family. This includes:
Liaison with the Transplant Physician and BMT Donor Coordinator regarding scheduling of transplants
Coordination of the management and support of patients and their families during the BMT journey
Organisation of education, referrals, pre and post BMT investigations and admissions
Offering a point of reference for families pre and post BMT
BMT Clinical Trial Coordinator
Data management is a mandatory requirement for accreditation of a transplant program. Data is reported both to national and international registries. This reporting process is part of the Quality Management Plan and enables the HSCT Program to participate in national and international studies.