Jonathan H. Waters, MD, received the President's Award from the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management (SABM) at its annual meeting on September 15, 2025, in Minneapolis, MN.
The SABM President’s Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding medical, scientific, and educational contributions to patient blood management, advancing blood safety and reducing unnecessary transfusions. Dr. Waters was selected for this honor in recognition of his decades-long commitment to innovation and excellence in transfusion medicine and blood conservation.
Dr. Waters’ career has been defined by his expertise in transfusion management, blood salvage, and obstetrics. He has received federal research funding and published extensively in these fields, authoring multiple peer-reviewed articles and six books—including five on blood management and one on neurologic disease in pregnancy. He has served on the editorial board of Transfusion and is currently Associate Editor for the journal’s Blood Management section. He is also a member of the Clinical Transfusion Medicine Committee of the American Association of Blood Banks and a Past President of SABM.
Dr. Waters established UPMC’s system-wide Patient Blood Management Program in 2012 and served as the program’s director until his retirement in 2024. His implementation of a Six Point Blood Management Strategy transformed clinical practices across the health system. The strategy—centered on evidence-based transfusion practices, waste reduction, preoperative anemia management, and the use of cell salvage technologies—resulted in a 35% reduction in red blood cell use and more than $10 million in cost savings, while improving patient outcomes.
Congratulations to Dr. Waters on his well-deserved recognition from SABM!