ImpactLife’s donation centers in the Quad Cities jumped into action this week as part of a national emergency response to aid blood centers impacted when Hurricane Debby struck Florida’s Gulf Coast.
ImpactLife, with local collection centers in Davenport and Moline, shipped out blood components to assist the SunCoast Blood Centers in Florida after they were significantly impacted by high winds and heavy rain. The natural disaster caused widespread cancellation of blood drives and appointments for blood donation this week in that region.
Blood centers across the U.S. sent blood from their reserves after the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC) was activated due to Florida’s blood inventory needs. The BERC is a collaborative effort of 37 community blood centers that helps blood providers meet immediate transfusion needs when faced with a large-scale emergency.
Kirby Winn, public relations manager for ImpactLife in the Quad Cities, said once the BERC was activated, ImpactLife’s Inventory Management & Distribution team in Davenport shipped out the emergency reserves.
Hurricane Debby made landfall on the west coast of Florida early Monday, Aug. 5. In a news release issued Wednesday, Aug. 7, ImpactLife said those blood providers on call for BERC this week – including ImpactLife – have been shipping out reserve supplies to hospitals in the impacted area.
Mr. Winn said before responding to the crisis, ImpactLife ensures it can meet the commitments it has with its Midwest hospital partners. He encouraged donors in the Quad Cities to give blood to assist, and said donation schedules would be increased at its Donor Centers and blood drives.
Through the BERC, participating blood centers commit to reserving extra units of blood on a rotating, “on call” schedule once every three weeks. Units of type O-positive and type O-negative red blood cells are held in reserve for any critical-need scenario, such as a natural disaster or mass casualty event.
“We are grateful to our BERC partners and especially to the volunteer blood donors who make it possible for blood providers to assist in this crisis,” BERC Administrator Nelson Hellwig said in the release. “The advance planning and mutual support we have developed is helping meet immediate needs in the region and will make a difference for those affected by Hurricane Debby.”
In addition to ImpactLife, these community-based blood centers also were part of the latest BERC activation: Blood Bank of Hawaii, Houchin Community Blood Bank, Inova Blood Donor Services, LifeStream Blood Bank, Mississippi Blood Services, Northern California Community Blood Bank, South Texas Blood & Tissue, Stanford Blood Center, Vitalant, and We Are Blood.
“In an emergency, it’s critical to have a sufficient supply of blood components available at a moment’s notice,” Don Campbell, SunCoast’s chief operating officer, said in the release. “Support from Blood Emergency Readiness Corps ensures our ability to continue providing this lifesaving resource for hospitals in our region in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Debby.”
According to the release, this marks only the eighth time since BERC’s inception in September 2021 that the network has been activated. However, a separate BERC activation was called just a week earlier after a ransomware event that affected critical software systems at OneBlood, the not-for-profit blood center that serves more than 250 hospitals in the southeastern United States.
“Hurricane Debby and the ransomware event reminds us of the importance of blood providers in the U.S. working together in times of crisis,” Mr. Hellwig added. “Blood providers supporting needs in Florida today may require emergency assistance in their own region in the future, and BERC members will be ready to provide that support.”
To thank its blood donors, ImpactLife is giving all blood donors a voucher to redeem for an electronic gift card, points to use in the Donor Rewards Store, or an equivalent donation to Make-A-Wish chapters in Iowa and Illinois. The value of the e-gift card, points, or donation varies based on collection procedure, ranging from $20 for whole blood donations up to $70 for new platelet donors.
For more details, visit www.bloodcenter.org/now. To schedule a blood donation, call (800) 747-5401, schedule online at www.bloodcenter.org or use the ImpactLife mobile app (www.bloodcenter.org/app).
