Rick Kaufman

Background

About Rick Kaufman

I have focused my medical career on improving the safety of blood donors and transfusion recipients. Over my career, I have worked to raise the performance level of the transfusion service to meet patients needs, and I have strived to contribute to the field of transfusion medicine through my academic pursuits. In my role as transfusion service medical director, I am responsible for ensuring the safe and appropriate use of the approximately blood products transfused annually at BWH and DFCI. I have led several clinical innovations locally. I helped create a highly effective electronic decision support system to improve transfusion appropriateness; I led multidisciplinary groups that developed novel massive transfusion protocols for bleeding emergencies; in collaboration with Boston MedFlight, I led the development of a statewide prehospital transfusion program. From 2018-2022, I served as chair the U.S. Blood Products Advisory Committee (BPAC), which advises the Food and Drug Administration on issues related to the safety, effectiveness, and appropriate use of blood products. I serve on two international expert panels, the Scientific and Medical Advisory Committee of Héma-Québec and the International Collaboration for Transfusion Medicine Guidelines, and I am a scientific member of the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative, an international research group. Working in transfusion medicine provides a highly rewarding mix of direct patient care, research, teaching, and administrative leadership. I aspire to help move the field forward through innovation, while ensuring the safest and most effective transfusion support for patients.