D. Michael Strong, PhD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AABB Names Puget Sound Blood Center Executive VP as President

D. Michael Strong, PhD, named president of international blood banking organization AABB

OCTOBER 27, 2006, SEATTLE WA —Puget Sound Blood Center is pleased to announce D. Michael Strong, PhD, Blood Center executive vice president of operations and COO, was named president of AABB. AABB is credited with advancing transfusion and cellular therapies worldwide. The announcement of Dr. Strong to this extremely prestigious post was made Tuesday evening, October 24, 2006 at the annual meeting of AABB held in Miami, Florida. Puget Sound Blood Center management and staff congratulate Dr. Strong on this distinguished accomplishment.

As president of AABB, Dr. Strong brings to the organization over 40 years of experience in tissue, bone marrow, cord blood, immunogenetics (HLA), cellular therapies, and immunology. We have an opportunity to capitalize on the convergence of all these fields, says Dr. Strong. Tissue safety is among the issues he will direct his attention to, encouraging the centralization of tissue distribution to hospitals with their blood transfusion services. This is a tremendous service that blood banks can provide in improving the safety of tissue allograft transplantation in this country, he says. And it’s why I encourage blood bank transfusion services to get involved.

Dr. Strong directs all operations for Puget Sound Blood Center supporting county and regional hospitals; blood and bone marrow donor recruitment, blood collections, blood processing, the reference laboratories, immunogenetics laboratories, the Northwest Tissue Services, the transfusion service and transportation.

Background
Recognized as one of the world's leading experts in cell cryopreservation and tissue banking, Dr. Strong joined Puget Sound Blood Center in 1988, where he established the Northwest Tissue Services. Prior to being named chief operating officer in 2005, he was appointed director of laboratories in 1992, director of operations in 1994, and executive vice president of operations in 2000.

In 2000 America’s Blood Centers presented Dr. Strong with the prestigious Thomas F. Zuck Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions to the implementation of nucleic acid testing used for detection of infectious disease markers in the nation’s blood supply. He received a second lifetime achievement award, the George W. Hyatt Memorial Award, in 2003 from the American Association of Tissue Banks.

Dr. Strong has lectured at 30 universities on six continents, and has published over 400 book chapters, journal articles and abstracts. He belongs to and has served on the boards of many professional societies and is a founding member of numerous others. He is also a research professor in the Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at the University of Washington, School of Medicine. He and his wife, Sunny, have three adult children and five grandchildren.

A graduate of Gonzaga University, Dr. Strong received his PhD from The Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

About AABB
Established in 1947, AABB (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks) is an international, not-for-profit association dedicated to the advancement of science and the practice of transfusion medicine and related biological therapies. The association is committed to improving health by developing and delivering standards, accreditation and educational programs and services to optimize patient and donor care and safety. AABB membership consists of approximately 1,800 institutions and 8,000 individuals, including physicians, scientists, administrators, medical technologists, nurses, researchers, blood donor recruiters, and public relations personnel. Members are located in all 50 states and 80 countries. For more information on AABB, visit www.aabb.org.

Celebrating over 60 years of innovation, Puget Sound Blood Center blends community volunteerism, medical science and research to improve patients lives and serves patients in more than 70 hospitals and clinics in 14 counties. The Blood Center provides blood and tissue services, as well as transplantation support to 185 hospitals across the Northwest.

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