|
 |
|
|
      |
|
|
|
Message
from the President
As the rest of the country rings in the new millenium with jubilant celebrations, the nation's blood centers - BCP included - brace for yet another January blood shortage. Blood supplies run so critically low every January that blood centers must issue emergency public alerts about the danger of running out. Urgent appeals for blood donations begin airing on radio and television news programs and in newspapers. Why do blood shortages occur each January and what is BCP doing to alleviate this annual problem? The month of January presents unique problems for BCP as we try to meet the blood needs of thousands of patients in Northern California, many of whom are facing elective surgery which had been postponed over the holidays. Recruiting enough healthy, available blood donors is unusually challenging in January for several reasons: 1) respiratory infection levels are at their highest, so many donors are suffering from colds and flu and are unable to donate, 2) large groups of donors become unavailable to blood centers as companies, trying to recover from the many distractions of the holiday season, postpone employee blood drives until spring, and 3) the post-holiday period is still filled with all kinds of recreational activities such as vacations and shopping sprees, preventing us from reaching prospective donors. When the majority of the nation's blood centers operate on very thin margins of blood, the entire nation suffers. Blood centers are unable to share resources and at the extreme, elective surgeries have to be postponed until blood supplies are replenished. Worse yet, supplies of Type O blood can diminish to such sparse levels that even emergency blood needs cannot be met. Preventing the unthinkable from happening each January has prompted BCP to undertake many new ventures. Our ongoing partnership with organizations such as the San Francisco 49ers and new partnerships, like the one with Providian Financial (see related story, page xx), help get the word out. We are also working closely with other blood centers across the country to share ideas and methods of averting a blood shortage. And recently, I attended the first meeting of the Irwin Center's Community Advisory Committee - a group of concerned individuals who will meet to discuss ways to reach more potential donors. Lastly, we are appealing to groups to schedule blood drives and reaching out to individual donors to schedule a January donation. If you're not eligible to make another blood donation in January, you can still help by making a personal appeal to friends and relatives, as well as to members of your business, social and church groups. Your personal appeal can be the most effective recruitment tool of all. Thank you for your continuing support.
|
 |
|
About Us | Locations | Donating | Volunteer | High School Program © 2005 Blood Centers of the Pacific All Rights Reserved |
|
