Strios g Te 2 0 0 7 A n n u a l R e p o r t
at work as a police officer and on his own time as a Power Red blood donor.
ur business is saving lives. That’s our end result, our bottom line, our mission. Everything we do, day in and day out, is to save lives. From leadingedge research to customized testing to urgent deliveries…it’s all to save lives. Saving lives isn’t easy. Our dedicated staff doesn’t do it alone. We do it in alliance with blood donors: selfless, generous people who roll up their sleeves every day at one of our blood drives or donor centers around the U.S. In 2007, nearly 700,000 people donated blood with our Blood Centers Division. People like Peter Jacks, a police officer who is featured on the cover of this report. Even when Peter is off-duty, he helps the community and saves lives every time he donates blood. Some donated blood for the very first time, like Vera Saenz at her high school blood drive; others, like Steve Hartin, are old hands, giving platelets every 2 weeks. They saved lives—hundreds of thousands in 2007. And when you think about those patients and the lives they touch, you realize that donors like Peter, Vera and Steve saved families and classrooms, friendships and teams, workplaces and congregations and neighborhoods. Entrusted by donors with their precious gift and counted on by hospitals, physicians and patients to make sure blood is available when and where it is needed, our organization achieved outstanding results for the year. We collected more than 1.2 million blood components and tested more than 2.7 million samples for our organization and others. We had strong and stable financial performance. We remained steadfast in our commitment to quality, with the majority of our facilities receiving impressive results on FDA inspections. We invested in our employees with competitive benefits, training and continuing education programs, and kept them safe by reducing accidents and providing a safe work environment. Blood Systems has strong ties in the communities we serve, strong ties as a respected leader in blood banking and transfusion medicine. Those ties are woven from more than 65 years of providing a safe and ample blood supply. We save lives. We don’t do it alone. We do it with blood donors who have strong ties to us, to service and to the strangers they save. It all starts with them. We are pleased to introduce you to some of them and to present details of our year in this report. A Message From Blood Systems’ Chairperson & President/CEO Blood Donors Give Us Strength Heather Allen M. D. Chairperson J. Daniel Connor President & Chief Executive Officer
Blood Systems exists to make a difference in people’s lives by bringing together the best people, inspiring individuals to donate blood, producing a safe and ample blood supply, advancing cutting-edge research and embracing continuous quality improvement.
started donating in the military 36 years ago just to get the day off. Back then that’s how they did it. I quickly learned that it is so much more than that. I’ve been donating faithfully ever since.” “I donate blood at our company’s blood drive every few months. It recently became very personal for me, as my granddaughter was diagnosed with a blood disorder.” “I was so afraid to give blood. Today was my first time and I feel great and proud that I did it and helped someone!” “I donate blood because it’s the right thing to do, period. Anyone who meets the requirements should do it too.” “I donate blood because I’m healthy. One day I might get sick and need blood; it’s my hope that blood will be there for me.” “I needed blood when I was younger. I made a promise that, as soon as I was able, I would always give.” “Sometimes it’s hard to get to the blood center, but I somehow make the time and I’m always glad I did.” “My parents donate blood and they taught me that it’s something we all should do. Now I am old enough to donate and I try to do it three or four times a year.” “I’ll admit it, I donate for the juice and cookies! Seriously, I know it saves lives.” If you spend a few minutes in the refreshment area at one of our blood drives or blood centers, you’ll hear blood donors talking to each other, swapping their stories of why they give blood. They sit there with their badge of honor, a colored tape around their arm, beaming with pride. Some donate routinely; others need to be reminded by their spouses. They are there for different reasons, but they all have one thing in common: their action saves lives. Blood Systems has divisions that test blood donations for our organization and for others, provide biological products to hospitals and conduct leading-edge research to assure a safer blood supply throughout the world. In this report, we spotlight our Blood Centers Division (United Blood Services, Blood Centers of the Pacific and our affiliate, Inland Northwest Blood Center), and we honor volunteer blood donors. “I donate Blood because it’s something I can give and still have...” Blood Donors Show Their Strength Eric Oberoi, college student, Power Red blood donor “I donate three times a year because I know they need my blood type...”
blood donor since 1993 The communities we serve depend on these generous blood donors who take time from their day to give blood. Thanks to them, we achieve our mission to make a difference in people’s lives. They are our partners, our allies. Long before people donate blood, we are working behind the scenes to create a safe, positive, inspiring experience for them. We are busy developing training programs and tools for those who recruit blood donors and those who collect their blood. We are installing and improving computer systems to help us track data, fine tune schedules and develop budgets. We “I donate blood to help patients in my community...” More than 100 blood donors have become heroes for 10-year-old twin brothers Joshua and Jordan Buchanan. Both boys were born with the most severe form of Sickle Cell Disease, a disorder that causes their red blood cells to become deformed. Their mother, Kristine, smiles as the boys meet two of the blood donors who saved her Photo by Dave Tevis. sons’ lives: Joshua (left) with his donor Phil Tumbleson, Jordan (right) with his donor David Lucas.
“I donate blood because it makes me feel good to help out!” are creating marketing campaigns, conducting quality assessments and performing regulatory checks. We are testing, researching and counseling. We are tracking and shipping. So much is done before that precious tape is placed on a donor’s arm and so much after, making sure each donation is safe and available for someone who needs it. Since 1943, Blood Systems has offered people the opportunity to create healthy communities by giving blood. Our processes, technology and systems have changed much since then, but what hasn’t changed is the dedication of blood donors. We encourage donors to give whole blood or red cells three or four times a year, and 77,898 donors did just that in 2007, earning special thank-you gifts as dedicated members of our HEROES for Life program. Platelet donors can give up to 24 times a year, assuring that cancer and surgery patients receive the special transfusions that help their blood to clot. Out of 20,401 people who gave platelets, 1,397 gave 12 or more times; with each platelet donation taking about 2 hours, these people gave up an entire day of their lives to give the promise of a lifetime to others. This year, 691,481 donors passed through our doors or climbed aboard our buses to donate blood. We’ve invested significant time, resources and dollars to make their donation experience a great one. We introduced cholesterol testing and, with FDA approval, offered a streamlined health questionnaire. We built and refurbished many of our donor centers; we asked donors for their feedback and we listened. We provided donor chairs with Internet service and launched a new e-mail program to remember donors on their birthday, point them toward nearby blood drives and remind them of their appointments. We connected them with our researchers who are conducting ground-breaking studies on donor reactions and emerging diseases. We hosted reunions where some donors were able to meet the patients they saved. And we thanked them all at luncheons, galas and community events and, more personally, in conversations, phone calls, letters and email messages. Blood donors—along with our employees and the hospitals, physicians and patients we serve—are a vital part of our organization and are key to our mission. Together with them, Blood Systems and its divisions achieved impressive success in Shawn Smith, Registered Nurse, donating blood since high school “I donate blood because I work in a hospital and I know how important blood is to saving lives...”
because I’m healthy and I want to share my good fortune...” 2007 while providing hope and health to thousands of patients and the people who love them. The next time you see someone wearing one of these bright badges of honor, take a good look and you’ll see a face full of pride, generosity, caring and love, just like the faces of the donors in this report. We’re proud to honor blood donors in this report of our success in 2007. They are the mighty team that ties us to those who depend on us. Alicia Aranda, whole blood donor, college student and cheerleader Steve Hartin, platelet donor, 125 donations to date Our volunteer donors touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients and the people who love them by donating more than 1.2 million blood components in 2007.
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