11/06/2025
Behind every life-saving transfusion is a dedicated lab professional like Trisha Harbison, Blood Bank Supervisor at Kootenai Health.
How long have you worked in health care?
Kootenai Health for 24 years. I started as a generalist in the lab and have worked as a dedicated blood banker for five years. I am now the supervisor and love what I do.
What do you most like about what you do?
Knowing the difference laboratorians make in a patient’s life, behind the scenes. While we don’t often get to see patients, we are an invested group providing lab results and life-saving transfusions. Transfusions of red blood cells, platelets, plasma, and cryoprecipitate can be used in surgery, trauma, cancer care, and situations where multiple products are needed rapidly.
Many departments, including phlebotomy, client services, specimen processing, point of care testing, histology, along with analytical departments, including blood banking, coagulation, hematology, chemistry, urinalysis, immunology, and microbiology, work together to provide lab results that aid in patient diagnosis and treatment.
Please donate blood. One donation potentially saves up to three people. Platelets are also in high demand. Please contact vitalant.org and make a difference!
