Mid-South Regional Blood Center Inc

TO ENGAGE VOLUNTEER DONORS AND PROVIDE A SAFE BLOOD SUPPLY FOR PATIENTS

THE CORPORATION IS ORGANIZED IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE NATIONAL BLOODPOLICY, ANNOUNCED BY THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE ONJULY 10, 1973. IT WILL OPERATE TO PROMOTE THE PUBLIC WELFARE AND TOCARRY OUT SCIENTIFIC, EDUCATIONAL AND OTHER PROGRAMS TO DEVELOP ANADEQUATE, VOLUNTARY SUPPLY OF BLOOD TO MEET THE HEALTH NEEDS OF THENATION. IT WILL FURNISH AFFORDABLE AND MORE READILY AVAILABLE ANDACCESSIBLE BLOOD, BLOOD SERVICES, BLOOD PLASMA, AND OTHER BLOOD ANDHUMAN TISSUE COMPONENTS, BLOOD AND GENETIC TESTING AND RESEARCH, ANDRELATED DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC HEALTH CARE SERVICES TO ALL PERSONSIN NEED THEREOF, AND ESPECIALLY PERSONS RESIDING IN TENNESSEE,ARKANSAS, MISSOURI, AND MISSISSIPPI; AND TO WORK COOPERATIVELY WITHHOSPITALS, PHYSICIANS, BLOOD BANKS, AND OTHER PERSONS OR ENTITIES THAT PROVIDE OR ENGAGE IN THE SAME OR SIMILAR SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES, FORTHE PURPOSE OF MAKING THE ABOVE BLOOD SERVICES AND COMPONENTS MOREREADILY AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL PERSONS THROUGHOUT THE UNITEDSTATES.MISSION STATEMENTLIFEBLOOD IS A NON PROFIT COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATION. ITS MISSIONIS TO ENGAGE VOLUNTEER DONORS AND PROVIDE A SAFE BLOOD SUPPLY TOPATIENTS.IN FULFILLMENT OF ITS STATED PURPOSE AND MISSION, IN FY15 LIFEBLOODPROVIDED BLOOD RELATED SERVICES TO THE GREATER THAN 1,400,000 CITIZENSOF 15 COUNTIES IN 4 STATES WITHIN THE MID SOUTH AND TO SUPPORTHEALTHCARE OF OTHERS ACROSS THE NATION AND AROUND THE WORLD.DIRECTLY BENEFITING WERE THE PATIENTS OF THE 21 HOSPITALS AND OTHERHEALTH CARE FACILITIES IN THE REGION WHO RECEIVED OVER 80,000TRANSFUSIBLE BLOOD COMPONENTS. INCLUDED IN THIS WERE SOME 250TRANSFUSIBLE BLOOD COMPONENTS THAT WERE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGHAUTOLOGOUS AND DIRECTED DONATIONS, WHICH MADE PATIENT DESIGNATED BLOODCOMPONENTS ROUTINELY AVAILABLE ANYWHERE IN THE NATION.AS IN PAST YEARS, FY15 DEMAND FOR WHOLE BLOOD AND RED BLOOD CELLS INTHE MID-SOUTH CONTINUED TO BE WELL ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 5,000UNITS PER 100,000 POPULATION. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS DISPARATE DEMANDWERE: A LEVEL I TRAUMA CENTER; A PEDIATRIC TRAUMA CENTER; MAJORREFERRAL NETWORKS OF TWO VERY LARGE HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS - BAPTIST ANDMETHODIST; THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE TRANSPLANT PROGRAMS; AND ST.JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL.DURING FY15 LIFEBLOOD PROVIDED OVER 80,000 BLOOD COMPONENTS FORTRANSFUSION TO PATIENTS IN HEALTH CARE FACILITIES: APPROXIMATELY 52,000WHOLE BLOOD AND RED BLOOD CELL COMPONENTS; OVER 12,500 APHERESISPLATELETS; 15,500 PLASMA COMPONENTS. 24,000 BLOOD DONORS MADE 38,500DONATIONS.40% OF VENIPUNCTURES WERE MADE AT NEIGHBORHOOD DONOR CENTERS INTENNESSEE AND MISSISSIPPI. IN ADDITION TO CONVENIENT BLOOD DONATIONOPPORTUNITIES, THESE SITES PROVIDED THE COMMUNITY WITH FREE BLOODPRESSURE AND HEMATOCRIT SCREENINGS, AND SAMPLE COLLECTION FORINFECTIOUS DISEASE TESTING AND THE NATIONAL MARROW DONOR PROGRAM.60% OF VENIPUNCTURES WERE MADE ON BLOOD DRIVES CONDUCTED ON SITE ATCHURCHES, BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, OR OTHER LOCATIONS WITHIN A COMMUNITYTHAT ARE CONVENIENT FOR DONORS. MOBILE BLOOD DRIVES ARE COORDINATED BYVOLUNTEER CHAIR PEOPLE, USUALLY GROUP BLOOD ASSURANCE PLANCOORDINATORS, WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING A SITE FOR THE DRIVEAND SCHEDULING DONORS. MOBILES WERE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVENDAYS A WEEK, AND WERE ACTIVE 350 DAYS DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR.PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECRUITING VOLUNTEER DONORS AND BLOODCOLLECTION RESTED WITH OUR DONOR RELATIONS GROUP. DEDICATED STAFF ALSOHANDLED AUTOLOGOUS AND DIRECTED DONATION SERVICES FOR DONORS ANDPATIENTS.AT THE CLOSE OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THERE WERE OVER 1,000 ACTIVE DONATIONGROUPS (CIVIC CLUBS, BUSINESSES, CHURCHES, ETC.); MOST WITH THEIR OWNVOLUNTEER COORDINATOR THAT ASSISTED STAFF IN THE RECRUITMENT OF WHOLEBLOOD AND APHERESIS DONORS AND THE COLLECTION OF BLOOD. THROUGHOUT THEYEAR EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS WERE MADE TO MANY OF THESE GROUPS ASWELL AS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS REGARDING THE NEED FOR VOLUNTEER BLOODDONORS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND EXPLAINING THE BLOOD DONATION ANDCOMPONENT PRODUCTION PROCESSES AND THE USE OF EACH BLOOD COMPONENT INTRANSFUSION THERAPY.SINCE THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR HUMAN BLOOD AND SINCE OUR COMMUNITY ISNOT SELF-SUFFICIENT FOR ITS BLOOD NEEDS, THE BLOOD CENTER IMPORTEDBLOOD COMPONENTS FROM OTHER NON PROFIT COMMUNITY BLOOD CENTERSTHROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. ALTHOUGH A CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE, ITENABLED THE BLOOD CENTER TO FULFILL ITS MISSION. ALTERNATIVELY, FAILURETO FULFILL ITS MISSION WOULD LEAVE HOSPITALS TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES ANDWOULD MOST LIKELY CAUSE POSTPONED ELECTIVE SURGERIES AND CERTAINLY FARGREATER EXPENSE.