Herbert Polesky, president of the 13th International ISFG Congress 1989 in New Orleans, and former AABB president, recently passed away. He died suddenly of a heart attack in Punta Arenas, Chile on December 11 while on a trip through Chile and Argentina.
Dr. Polesky is well known for his influential work in promoting safer blood products by advancing infectious disease testing. Additionally, he made significant contributions in relationship testing and the prevention of hemolytic disease in newborns. He also helped establish criteria for transfusion medicine training, helped develop the first board examination for transfusion medicine and was dedicated to education throughout his career. Herb Polesky was 78 years old.