In the Know with Dr. Oh

In the season 3 finale, Dr. Oh highlights what the different guests had to say as to why giving blood is so important

Dr. Timothy Pritts, Cheif of General Surgery at UC Health, and most recently celebrated for his role in the Demar Hamlin incident in early 2023 during the Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals NFL matchup, sits down with Dr. Oh to share the ins and outs of how the NFL remains prepared on the sidelines. He also deep dives into his journey in the medical field and highlights the importance of learning CPR. Dr. Pritts is currently a professor of surgery and chief of the section of general surgery, leading programs providing care for trauma, general surgery, bariatric surgery, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care patients for the UC Health system.

Lindsay Schulte, mother of Hoxworth blood recipient, Brynn Schulte, sits down with Dr. Oh to share her family's story about how Hoxworth blood donors saved her daughter's life. Brynn was diagnosed with a rare bleeding disorder - Factor XIII - shortly after she was born in 2019 and will continue treatment throughout her lifetime. Each year since, the Schulte family celebrates Brynn’s birthday with a blood drive to show gratitude to our community of donors, but more importantly, bring awareness to the vital importance of donating blood. Tune in to learn more about the Schulte family and the vital role that blood donors play in Brynn's life.

Dr. Oh sits down with Shawna Nestheide, Research Lab Director at Hoxworth Blood Center, and dives into her remarkable journey in the field of science, tracing back to her formative years of focused studies in Jamaica. From her pivotal role at Cincinnati's Children's Hospital to her recent promotion at Hoxworth, Shawna's career is nothing short of inspiring. Her dedication to patient care has been a beacon of hope, driving her tireless efforts during COVID in recruiting convalescent plasma donors to now pioneering innovative approaches to blood bank clinical research. Tune in as Shawna shares her passion and insights with Dr. Oh, offering a glimpse into her extraordinary contributions to the medical community.

Valerie Miller, member of the Hoxworth Community Advisory Board, and graduate of the University of Cincinnati, joins Dr. Oh for an energetic conversation about her passion for being a Hoxworth blood donor. Valerie has spent much of her career in her hometown working in media and corporate communications and now is a champion of the Hoxworth mission to encourage our community to become blood donors to help patients in local hospitals.

Lori Pierson, Field Manager of Hoxworth's Central neighborhood donor center location, sits down with Dr. Oh and shares her origin story and journey through her career at Hoxworth. Lori talks about the different roles at Hoxworth and what it means to her to be part of such an important mission.

Anne Lamar, Transfusion Safety Officer for TriHealth, and Amy Williams, Manager of Hematology and Blood Utilization for TriHealth, sit down with Dr. Oh to talk about what happens after you donate blood - managing and utilizing blood within the hospital. Amy and Anne discuss the behind the scenes magic that goes into managing and distributing the blood supply within their hospitals in an effective and efficient way that reduces waste and prioritizes patient needs.

Dr. Oh sits down with Cole Williams, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and founder of Pride & Plasma, an organization that fights for equality in blood, tissue, & organ donation. Cole shares more about his passion behind advocating for equitable health policies and creating a national organization to fight discriminatory policies impacting the queer community in healthcare.

Dr. Oh is joined by Dr. Kristina Prus, the Associate Director of Transfusion Medicine and Director of Hematology and Coagulation in the clinical laboratory at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, who shares her life story and journey from pediatric oncology studies to falling in love with the study of Sickle Cell Disease, blood banking and transfusion medicine. Dr. Prus dives into her research interests which include the intersection of global health, sickle cell disease, and transfusion medicine, most recently projects concerning alloimmunization in pediatric sickle cell disease patients.

Jenine Fields, the Assistant Director of Hoxworth’s Components Laboratory and Product Management department, sits down with Dr. Oh for an engaging and emotional conversation on the impact of blood donation. Jenine shares her unique perspective from both sides of the blood banking world – being behind the scenes in blood processing, to being a blood recipient after being diagnosed with cancer. Jenine’s remarkable story emphasizes the impact of blood donors as she shares just how grateful she is for the role that Hoxworth Blood Center has played in her life.