Karen Tiegerman Memorial Lectureship

This lectureship was established in 1993 by the New England Medical Center Blood Bank in memory of Karen Tiegerman, who was the Blood Bank Supervisor.

Karen was an independent thinker who took time to share her knowledge with others. She loved her work and took pride in being a Medical Technologist. She obtained a B.S. in Medical Technology, an M.S. in Health Sciences Education and SBB certification. She taught at Erie Community College before becoming Supervisor of the Blood Bank at New England Medical Center. Karen also served on the Board of Directors of the MABB.

This annual lectureship is awarded to a Medical Technologist who, like Karen, loves his or her work and is dedicated to the profession.

2019 Lectureship Recipient:

Margaret M. Leger, MS, MT(ASCP), SBB

The Karen Tiegerman Memorial Lectureship was established in 1993 by the New England Medical Center Blood Bank to recognize a medical technologist who, like Karen, loves his or her work and is dedicated to the profession.

It would be hard to find a technologist more deserving of this award than this year’s recipient, Margaret Leger.

Margaret’s blood bank career began in 1978 as a part-time weekend technologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. She became a Senior Technologist on the overnight shift after graduating from Southeastern Massachusetts University (now UMass Dartmouth) in 1980. 41 years later, she is still the Senior Tech on that shift!

Always an avid learner, Margaret completed a Master's degree in Radiopharmaceutical Science at Northeastern University in 1985; in 1990, she earned her SBB. Additionally, while working full-time at MGH, Margaret has also been employed part-time at both Beth Israel Deaconess and Quincy Hospital Blood Banks, where she made many friends and close connections.

Margaret joined the Board of Directors of the MABB in 1985. She became Recording Secretary in 1990, and served in that capacity until she became President in 2006, a position she proudly held for 5 years. During her presidency, Margaret tried to improve the MABB and make it more accessible and inviting to current and future members. In an effort to increase membership and awareness of the MABB, Margaret personally visited many blood banks throughout Massachusetts, and spent countless hours planning meetings and educational events for MABB members and for others throughout the blood bank community.

In addition to her work and contributions to blood banking locally, Margaret has been an Assessor for AABB as well as a CAP Inspector since 2007. To date, she has performed over thirty assessments and inspections of blood banks throughout the United States - an activity which she enjoys immensely, and for which she is abundantly qualified.

On her “off hours”, Margaret enjoys spending time with her 3 children and her 3 granddaughters. Her hobbies include traveling, cooking, yoga, being active in her Church, and ANYTHING related to the word ”PUG.”

Past Recipients:

2016

Sandra Read, MT(ASCP), SBB

American Red Cross IRL, Retired

Dedham, MA

2012

Leonard Ventura, MS, MT (ASCP), SBB

Blood Bank Specialist, St Luke's Hospital

New Bedford, MA

2011

Susan T. Johnson, MSTM, MT(ASCP), SBB

BloodCenter of Wisconsin

2010

Olive Sturtevant, MHP, MT(ASCP), SBB, SLS

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and MABB Board Member

Boston, MA

2009

Marianne A Silva, MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, CQA(ASQ)

Consultant, AABB Consulting Services Division

Bethesda, MD

2008

Denise Harmening, PhD, MT(ASCP), CLS(NCA)

Professor, Department of Medical and Research Technology

School of Medicine, University of Maryland at Baltimore

2007

Kay Doyle, PhD, MT (ASCP)

Professor and Chair, Department of Clinical Labs and Nutritional Sciences

University of Massachusetts Lowell

2006

Dorothy L. Bergeron and Estelle Leger

Instructors in Immunohematology

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

2005

Peggy Spruell, MT (ASCP), SBB

Consultation and Reference Laboratory

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center

2004

Suzanne Butch, MA, MT (ASCP), SBB, CQA (ASQ)

Chief Technologist, Blood Bank and Transfusion Service

University of Michigan Medical Center

2003

Janet Vincent, MS, SBB (ASCP)

Education Coordinator

University of Texas, Medical Branch

2002

Carl T. Wrubel, MS, MT (ASCP), SBB

Technical Supervisor, Blood Bank Laboratory

Lahey Clinic Medical Center

2001

Margaret F. Kenney, MS, CLS, SBB

Assistant Education Coordinator

Rhode Island Blood Center

2000

Lucia M. Berte, MA, MT (ASCP), SBB, DLM, CQA (ASQ), CQMgr

Elmhurst, Illinois

1999

Darlys Schott, MT (ASCP), SBB

Supervisor, Cell Manipulation, Gene Transfer and Cryopreservation Laboratories

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

1998

Ellen Areman, MS, SBB (ASCP)

Technical Director, Cellular Engineering Laboratory

Georgetown University Medical Center

1997

Linda Hahn, MPM, MT (ASCP), SBB

Vice President and Clinical Director

Institute for Transfusion Medicine

1995

Sheila Maillet, MT (ASCP), SBB

Assistant Compliance Officer

Beth Israel Hospital

Boston, MA

1994

Patricia J. Ellinger, MSEd, MT (ASCP), SBB

Supervisor

Hennepin County Medical Center

Minneapolis, MN

1993

Karen Ann Anderson, MBA, MT (ASCP), SBB

Principal Officer

American Red Cross Blood Services – Northeast Region