BCHS Enhances Surgical Experience Through Smarter Blood Testing

Photo: Brian Brennan, Clinical Director, Dr. Sydney Godzisz, Chief, Department of Surgery, Tania Marmula, RPN, Selene Vazquez Jauregui, Surgical Clinical Reviewer, Lee-Anne Cooke, Director, Laboratory Medicine, Dr. Susan O’Leary, Medical Director, Perioperative Services, Dr. Katherine Chorneyko, Medical Director, Laboratory Medicine, Stuart Paavola, Chief Nursing Executive, Collen Reaney, RPN, and Sarah Kirkwood, Clinical Manager, Pre-Operative.

As part of its commitment to high‑quality, patient‑centred care, Brant Community Healthcare System (BCHS) continues to strengthen how laboratory testing supports safe and effective treatment.

Each year, BCHS’ lab performs approximately 2.6 million tests. Blood work makes up a significant portion of this activity — not only because it is essential for diagnosis and to guide treatment, but also because it is an area of medicine that continues to evolve with new evidence and best practices.

Quality Improvement (QI) at the forefront

With the aim to follow evidence-based guidelines for ordering tests and determining what blood work is truly needed, BCHS launched a sustainable QI initiative for patients undergoing routine elective surgery.

“In March 2024 we established a functional working group called Choosing Wisely Together within the Perioperative Quality Council to work on the shared goal of reducing testing that’s no longer best practice,” said Dr. Susan O’Leary, Medical Director Perioperative Services and Ambulatory Care. “This was a year-long effort from our teams to take a deep, collaborative look at our practices and ensure they reflect the latest science and the best interests of our patients.”

Learn more in the latest InsideBCHS: Better Care, Fewer Tests: BCHS Enhances the Surgical Experience Through Smarter Blood Testing

This article is part of Brantford Expositor's InsideBCHS Series.