Senior Advisor for Blood Policy

Dr. Jerry Holmberg
Senior Advisor for Blood Policy and Executive Secretary for the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability

Dr. Jerry Holmberg has more than 35 years in all areas of laboratory medicine, but most specifically in blood bank operations and policies. Prior to his military career he taught senior level Medical Technology and Pathology courses at Michigan State University and Bowling Green State University.

Dr. Holmberg served in the US Navy, achieving the rank of Commander. During that period, he held various positions directing blood banks, blood donor centers, frozen blood bank depots, and programs affiliated with the Navy and DoD. Commander Holmberg obtained the Specialist in Blood Bank certification through training at the Tri-Service Blood Bank Fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. His military career includes two tours of duty at the National Naval Medical Center, US Pacific Command Joint Blood Program Office in Okinawa, Japan, Functional Program Manger for the Defense Blood Standard System, Head of Navy Blood Program, and laboratory chief of the blood bank branch of the Joint Readiness Clinical Advisory Board. Upon leaving the military Dr. Holmberg held positions at Haemonetics Corporation involving medical devices for blood collection and cell processing of frozen blood.

In 2003, the Department of Health and Human Services announced his appointment as Senior Advisor for Blood Policy and the Executive Secretary for the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability. He continues to hold that position, working directly for the Assistant Secretary for Health.

The Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability makes recommendations to the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Health regarding blood and blood products. The range of issues addressed by the advisory committee includes:

• definition of public health parameters around safety and availability of blood and blood products,
• broad public health, ethical and legal issues related to transfusion and transplantation safety, and
• The implications for safety and availability of various economic factors affecting product cost and supply.

Dr. Holmberg received his B.S. in Biology from Saginaw Valley State College, his Medical Technology training at St. Luke’s Hospital in Saginaw, Michigan and M.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science from Michigan State University. He completed the Blood Bank Fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Bowling Green State University. He holds a certification in both medical technology, a specialist in blood bank technology, and quality assurance.