Happy Donor Care Professional Week!

This week is National Nurse’s Week! It’s a week marked by Florence Nightingale’s birthday, today May 12th. Florence Nightingale laid the foundation for nursing not only in her own work tending to wounded soldiers, but by establishing a nursing school in 1860 in London.

Here at BCP we wanted to take this week to celebrate not only our amazing nurses but all of our donor care professionals that take such good care of our lifesaving blood donors! They are hard at work everyday at our centers and blood drive mobiles and we couldn’t do it without them. BCP says a HUGE thank you to all our staff. We heart our donor care professionals!

Here are just a few of our staff who shared with us on what they like best about being a donor care professional:

Serving my community. Knowing that I make a difference in this world by helping to save lives. Meeting so many people and hearing their life stories. Having that warm fuzzy feeling when I go home. - Terrina Yamamoto, Director of Donor Collections

The best thing I like about being a Donor Care Professional is being part of a great team who collects lifesaving blood everyday. - Leilani Powell, Manager Donor Collections

The best thing I like being a Donor Care Professional are new projects. New projects keep my head working. I enjoy to be involved, l enjoy to learn new things, I enjoy sharing new projects with my staff. - Tatyana Bobrova, Manager Collections, PC

I like that everyday is different…different donors, different things to do, different type of donor flow…I love our donors. Our donors are really honest to goodness nice people.  For me personally…I like my fellow co-workers.  We can joke and have a good time or joke while we are working really hard.  They are a great bunch of people! - Amber Philips, SBC

It’s a great job!  We offer the community this wonderful service of saving lives, and still get to work with the best people….. the donors! - Lana Dyson, Donor Collection Manager, Northbay

The best thing I like about being a Donor Care Professional is giving back to the community. - Asad Allah, Mobile Manager

The best thing I like about being a Donor Care Professional is that I am getting to help people, I would not get to help if I did not work here. Thank you so much for letting me contribute. - Jeanette Maxwell, Shasta Blood Center, Receptionist/Special Donations

Interaction with our wonderful donors. - Mary Duffin, Supervisor Hemapheresis

The thing I like best: Is hearing donors’ accounts for why they are donating. These are the most inspirational stories I have ever encountered. I am proud to be a part of this experience. - Alana Tupasi R.N., Training Manager /Customer Service

The best thing I like about being a Donor Care Professional is the interactions with donors, working with pleasant people, taking part in doing something good for the community. – From the Napa Center: Kevin Jackson, RN aka; Action, Jennifer Bretta, aka; Jenniferesis, Aenong Phimmasone, RN, aka; “B”, Denise Sobiek, RN, aka; denurse

Spotlight’s On: Fred McFadden

BCP has many departments and hundreds of employees. Do you know the function of each department? Or the role of many of our staff members? Each month, we’ll spotlight a staff member or department. This month, we’d like to introduce you to Fred McFadden!

Fred, who used to work with us as the Manager of Field Recruitment (Bay Area), is now back in a new role. He plans to write a blog post for us soon explaining more about the Diversity Blood Donor Program and how you can help! But first, we thought we’d introduce you to him and the basics about what he does with Blood Centers of the Pacific.

What’s your new role at BCP and what does it entail?
It is nice to be back! My new job title is Diversity Blood Donor Program Specialist. As a member of the recruitment team, I’ll be responsible for diversifying our donor base, bringing in more donors of color. This will entail researching, developing, maintaining, and servicing the African American (AA) community and blood drives. There will be increased awareness and outreach campaigns to all communities of color, not just the AA community. The overriding goal is to raise participation in blood donation from all areas of our diverse society.

What’s a typical day like for you thus far?
Having been here just a few weeks thus far, my days have been heavy on the researching and developing side of things. Researching the concerns African Americans have about blood donation, and uncovering current programs attracting AA donors within the blood banking community, while finding the key organizations, groups and individuals to partner within our local AA communities. I’m also developing relationships with AA leaders in faith based, business, education, political, and other areas of the community, creating a program that meets the needs of BCP and the sickle cell patients at CHO, while assisting our partner organizations reach their organizational goals.

What do you like best/most about your job so far?
Overall, I just enjoy being back in the business of saving lives, and being part of the BCP recruitment
team again. My second day on the job, I was able to attend the blood drive we had with the staff of CHO. It was nice to see donors filling the chairs, giving the lifesaving gift of blood. Seeing people give of themselves like that for complete strangers never gets old!! All of us at BCP are fortunate to play a role in getting the gift of blood from a generous donor to a patient in need.

What are its challenges?
The challenges come in bringing awareness and education of the need for blood donors to the AA community, while successfully addressing the individual, religious and cultural concerns that keep many AA from donating blood.

Anything else to add?
Check out the sickle cell program at Children’s Hospital of Oakland!

Thanks Fred and we look forward to hearing from you soon as you tell us more about the Diversity Blood Donor Program!