Patient blood management (PBM) involves the timely and conscientious use of the current best evidence in making medical and surgical decisions about the care of patients to maintain red blood cell levels, optimize blood clotting, and minimize blood loss, in an effort to improve patient outcome. PBM focuses on the treatment of the individual patient and comprises transfusion therapy and drug therapy. PBM is based on three points: (1) optimization of the (preoperative) red blood cell volume, (2) reduction of diagnostic, therapeutic, or intraoperative blood loss, and (3) increasing individual tolerance towards anemia and accurate blood transfusion triggers. PBM primarily identifies patients at risk for transfusion and provides a management plan aimed at reducing or eliminating anemia and the need for blood transfusion donated from someone other than the patient (allogeneic transfusion), thus reducing the risks, blood bank inventory pressures, and the escalating costs associated with transfusion. The implementation of a formal UAB Preoperative Anemia Management Program (PAMP) may help achieve consistent PBM.