Dr. Melissa George, medical director of transfusion medicine and apheresis, assistant professor of pathology, and associate director of the pathology residence program at Penn State Hershey Medical Center has been named as a 2015 American Society for Clinical Pathology 40 Under Forty recipient. The program recognizes the future leaders of pathology and laboratory medicine.
There are three major elements of a transfusion medicine service -- blood donation, therapeutic apheresis and transfusion service.
As medical director, George is responsible for the management of the blood donation program and the safety of its donors.
In therapeutic apheresis, she serves as a consultant in treating patients with diseases that can benefit from having one blood component selectively withdrawn while returning other essential components. Therapeutic apheresis procedures primarily include plasmapheresis in which patient plasma containing antibodies is removed; red cell exchange for conditions like sickle cell disease in which faulty red blood cells are removed and replaced with more optimal cells from the blood bank; and both autologous and allogeneic stem cell collections for patients with a wide range of hematological malignancies.
The transfusion service provides blood products to patients in need of them and serves to consult clinicians in the proper use of these products.
In all three roles, George has a responsibility to the individual patient, but must also act as a just steward of scarce resources for the entire hospital.
George is board-certified in anatomic and clinical pathology, hematology and blood banking/transfusion medicine. Prior to joining the staff at Penn State Hershey, she completed an anatomic and clinical pathology residency, hematopathology and blood banking/transfusion medicine fellowships at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. George attended Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and serves as an adjunct professor there.
Applications for the 40 Under 40 recognition were received from pathologists, pathology residents and laboratory professionals under the age of 40, who demonstrate stellar achievements in the early stages of their careers.