Highlights from the SABM Annual Meeting

The 2026 SABM Annual Meeting marked a special milestone: SABM’s 25th Anniversary Meeting. More than 200 attendees gathered in Atlanta for three days of outstanding education, scientific exchange, collaboration, and connection. They were joined by virtual attendees from around the world, making this milestone meeting a truly global celebration of the Patient Blood Management (PBM) community.

The impact of the 2026 Annual Meeting extended far beyond Atlanta. SABM’s Day 1 livestream has been viewed by millions, bringing conversations from the Annual Meeting to an extraordinary worldwide audience and dramatically expanding the reach of SABM’s educational content and mission. This global engagement demonstrated the growing global interest in PBM and its potential to improve patient care around the world.

Fun and Networking

Extraordinary educational content is not the only draw of the SABM Annual Meeting!  At this year’s meeting attendees had the option to mix and mingle at the Welcome Reception, the Painted Pin, and the 2nd Annual Fun Walk / Run for Blood Health.

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Awards

Congratulations to all Award Winners honored at the SABM Annual Meeting!

Recognizing Excellence in Research

Looking toward the future also means recognizing the research that continues to expand our knowledge and improve clinical practice. The 2026 Annual Meeting showcased outstanding work from hundreds of investigators advancing the science of PBM.

Congratulations to our 2026 Research Award recipients:

1st Place

David Cho, BA

Longitudinal Changes in Hepcidin and Erythroferrone in Critical Illness: An Analysis from the Practical Anemia Bundle for Sustained Blood Recovery Randomized Clinical Trial

2nd Place

Jessica Mo, BA

Association of Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution Volume with Transfusion and Safety Outcomes in Cardiac Surgery

3rd Place

Fredy Ariza, MD, PhD

Residual Post-Trauma Anemia After Damage Control Surgery: Transfusion-Dependent Management and Missed Opportunities for Patient Blood Management in a Level I Trauma Center

Infographic Awards

Innovation takes many forms. This year’s infographic presentations demonstrated the power of translating PBM concepts into clear, accessible, and practical educational resources.

Congratulations to our 2026 Infographic Award recipients:

1st Place – Tie

Nicole De Vita, RN
Iron Deficiency in Adults: From Detection to Treatment

Anuradha Kanaparthi, MD
Perioperative PBM

3rd Place

Guilherme Rabello, MBA
AI-Enabled Anemia Triage

AI Research Grant Announced

Inaugural SABM AI in Patient Blood Management Research Award Announced! This grant will support an innovative research project examining the responsible use of artificial intelligence to advance patient blood management. The program is intended to generate practical knowledge, preliminary evidence, or tools that may improve PBM-related clinical care, education, implementation, or decision-making. 

25 Years of Progress and a Future of Possibility

For 25 years, SABM has brought together professionals committed to advancing PBM and improving patient outcomes.  Honoring Our Past, Advancing Our Future was more than the theme of this year’s meeting. It captured the spirit of a community celebrating an important milestone while continuing to push the field forward.