Medical News Today - December 10, 2007
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which has one of the few remaining Level 1 Trauma Centers in Los Angeles, uses 50,000 pints of blood and blood products each year. But those blood and blood products have a surprisingly short shelf life - only 42 days for red blood cells and five days for platelets. To help keep a steady and sufficient supply of blood and blood products on hand, the medical center recently purchased a new blood mobile. The 35-foot self-contained coach joins a previously purchased truck that can transport all of the equipment necessary to hold an off-site blood drive involving up to 120 donors.
This new colorful, red and white customized vehicle is a self-contained blood donor coach designed to travel to businesses and organizations throughout the Los Angeles area. About the size of a city bus, the blood mobile is equipped with four donor beds, two private screening rooms, automated red-cell collection capabilities and a comfortable refreshment area where donors can relax after giving blood.
Designed to handle smaller blood drives or locations that lack set-up space, the blood mobile can accommodate up to 50 donors in one day.
"The importance of donating blood cannot be over-emphasized. In an emergency, the blood used to save lives must already be on the shelves before the event occurs," said Ellen Klapper, M.D., co-director of Transfusion Medicine for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. "As blood usage increases at Cedars-Sinai, we must continue to actively set up blood drives throughout the community to help us meet the demand."
According to Louise Smith, manager of the Division of Transfusion Medicine, two out of three Los Angeles residents will need donated blood at some point in their lifetimes. "Just by giving blood, you can take pride in knowing that you helped save a life. It's a powerful feeling."
Sponsoring a blood drive is easy. Cedars-Sinai provides the specially trained staff, equipment and supplies, juice and cookies, even a free gift for donors -- all at no cost.
Cedars-Sinai's new blood mobile rolls out just in time for National Blood Donor month taking place in January 2008.
The first in Southern California and one of only 10 hospitals in the state whose nurses have been honored with the prestigious Magnet designation, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is one of the largest nonprofit academic medical centers in the Western United States. For 19 years, it has been named Los Angeles' most preferred hospital for all health needs in an independent survey of area residents. Cedars-Sinai is internationally renowned for its diagnostic and treatment capabilities, as well as breakthroughs in biomedical research and superlative medical education. It ranks among the top 10 non-university hospitals in the nation for its research activities and its human research protection program is fully accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. (AAHRPP).
Copyright 2007, Medical News Today. Reprinted with permission.
