Kathryn B., Supervisor – Laboratory & Transfusion Service, AHN Saint Vincent
When most people think of lifesaving hospital work, they picture doctors and nurses at the bedside. But for Kathryn B., supervisor of the Blood Bank at AHN Saint Vincent Hospital, the most critical work happens behind the scenes.
Her career is proof that you don't need to hold a patient's hand to save their life. She approaches this vital responsibility with unmistaken energy and a fitting personal philosophy: "My motto is like my blood type – B positive!"
Kathryn B., Supervisor – Laboratory & Transfusion Service
A full-circle journey home
Kathryn’s connection to AHN Saint Vincent began long before she was a team member. During her time as a medical technology student at Edinboro University, she completed her senior year on-site at the hospital’s School of Laboratory Science.
"I had really fallen in love with St. Vincent and just everything about it back then," Kathryn said. "Everyone was really welcoming and it has that good energy. I always remembered that."
Though she started her career elsewhere, the positive impression of Saint Vincent’s collaborative and friendly lab environment stayed with her. For years, she watched for an opportunity to return to the place that “felt like home.” In 2024, that opportunity arrived, and she joined the team as a Lead Medical Technologist for the Blood Bank. Her dedication and expertise were quickly recognized, and after just a year and a half, she was promoted to Blood Bank supervisor.
The heart of the hospital and the community
Many people don’t realize the critical role the hospital’s Blood Bank plays. It’s not a collection center, but a transfusion service that is the bridge between a donor’s gift and a patient’s second chance.
“There’s no substitute for blood,” Kathryn said. “You can have all the medical advancements in the world, you can have the best clinical team in the world. But if at the end of the day, the patient needs blood, there's nothing you can do to avoid that. That's really where we come in.”
The Saint Vincent Blood Bank works hand-in-hand with the Community Blood Bank of Erie, Pennsylvania. When you donate blood there, you are directly supplying the vital, life-saving products that Kathryn’s team uses to save lives in the Erie community every single day. From performing extensive testing to ensuring every patient receives the safest and most compatible blood product, the lab is the unseen force behind countless patient success stories.
“Even though we're in the lab and we're not seeing the patients, I always try to remind people to remember that this is like a person," Kathryn said. "Every tube of blood is like my mom or my dad or my brothers. They don’t know who I am. But I care about them.”
A culture of support and growth
Kathryn’s rapid growth from a new team member to a department supervisor is a testament to the supportive environment at AHN. She credits her leaders and colleagues for empowering her to step into the role with confidence.
"I never feel like, if I have something I'm not sure how to do, I'm never completely stuck,” Kathryn said. “I always have a resource to check in with.”
This cohesive, team-first culture is what Kathryn feels makes Saint Vincent truly special. It’s a place where everyone, regardless of their role or department, is united by a common mission. "It feels like we are our own community, within the hospital, and we are supporting our whole community of Erie," Kathryn said. "The way everyone works so well together allows them to create the best patient experience for our community and also the best experience for all the employees working here."
At AHN, a career in the laboratory is far more than just a job behind the scenes. It's an opportunity to make an impact, to be part of a supportive and growing team, and to build a fulfilling career that touches countless lives.
And for anyone on the fence about whether a laboratory role is the right path to make a difference, Kathryn’s journey shows that with the right support, you can make an incredible impact from the lab. All it takes is the passion to serve your community and, as Kathryn would say, a commitment to always "B positive."
Learn more about working at the lab at AHN and apply to our open roles!