President’s Letter
Cord blood banking accreditation is an important method for maintaining an inventory of cord blood units suitable for transplantation and other clinical trials. Given the increase in patient diversity, expansion protocols, indications, and financial pressure, the quality of cord blood units is as important as ever. My own institution has received cord blood units from FACT-accredited and non-accredited cord blood banks for transplant, and the differences in quality of labeling, documentation, shipping, and the products themselves is evident. All cord blood banks, whether public, private, or hybrid, are encouraged to pursue FACT accreditation for patient safety. Not only will recipients of cord blood units benefit, but banks themselves will benefit from a stronger financial position based on an inventory of quality, usable units. This newsletter includes several articles related to cord blood banking, demonstrating the benefits of FACT accreditation.
Another notable article is a tribute to Michael Lill, MD. We will sorely miss Michael’s intellect, kindness, sense of humor, and progressive thinking. He regularly identified ways in which FACT could expand and improve its services for our stakeholders, and we all benefit from his contributions.
FACT has benefited from the expertise and counsel of many more individuals, including Nancy H. Collins, PhD. I congratulate Nancy as the recipient of this year’s ISCT Career Achievement in Cellular Therapy award. It is much deserved.
Sincerely,
Dennis Gastineau
