Children's Hospital Boston Hits the Road for Blood Donations30 November 2005
More than 860 units of blood are needed every month to care for the young patients at Children's Hospital Boston -- but sometimes, the hospital's donor center can't get enough donations. It's why the hospital's new bloodmobile is so important. Children's Hospital Boston President and CEO Dr. James Mandell joined guests today at Children's Hospital Boston, Waltham, to launch the bloodmobile, made possible through the support of Kohl's Department Stores. At Children's Hospital, maintaining an adequate blood supply is critical, as the needs for children during surgery are often greater than adults. In addition, the hospital is part of an important blood collection partnership with Brigham & Women's Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The bloodmobile will complement Children's hospital-based donor center, traveling throughout Eastern Massachusetts to enhance its collection efforts that benefit thousands of New England patients. "This is an exciting announcement for Children's -- one that will increase our ability to improve and save children's lives," said Dr. James Mandell, president and CEO of Children's Hospital Boston. "Thanks to the continued generosity of our friends at Kohl's, the bloodmobile will help maintain an adequate blood supply at three of New England's premiere medical institutions." With its recent clinical expansion and addition of the Waltham facility, Children's has also increased its capacity for surgeries and procedures. While these changes have improved access to care, they've also increased the demand for blood. The bloodmobile will improve the hospital's blood supply by bringing the convenience of blood donation into the community. "We currently collect 90 to 95 percent of the blood needed for our patients, but there are times when we must purchase blood because of increased demand or a need for a particular blood type," said Leslie Silberstein, MD, Director, Children's Hospital Blood Bank. "Our goal is to meet the needs of our increasing patient population by securing 100 percent of the blood our patients require. With the bloodmobile creating greater public awareness for donations and making the process more efficient, we're confident that we'll reach that goal." The 40-foot custom coach will be a high-tech blood center on wheels. Outfitted with five beds and all of the equipment available at the hospital- based blood center, technicians can collect different blood components, such as red cells and platelets, for many different patient needs. The onboard computer system will make the process efficient by allowing technicians to quickly enter donor information and access hospital records. Kohl's continues its ongoing support of Children's Hospital Boston, donating more than $500,000 to fund the creation of the bloodmobile. Since 2001, Kohl's has contributed more than $1.4 million to Children's through its "Kohl's Cares for Kids" program, including funding for the Kohl's Center for Families at Children's, which offers a variety of much-needed services to patients and their families. Children's plans to schedule one to two blood drives per week, traveling to corporate office sites, retail outlets, colleges, churches and civic groups. At this pace, Children's expects to increase collection levels by an additional 110 units per week. Several companies have offered to host drives in December, including Kohl's Department Stores in Burlington and Chelmsford, Boston Scientific, KGR Realty and Kelly's Roast Beef/Jordan's Furniture in Natick. For more information on the bloodmobile or to organize a blood drive contact Children's Blood Donor Center at (617) 355-6677 or visit http://www.childrenshospital.org/donateblood. Founded in 1869 as a 20-bed hospital for children, Children's Hospital Boston today is the nation's leading pediatric medical center, the largest provider of health care to Massachusetts children, and the primary pediatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. In addition to 347 pediatric and adolescent inpatient beds and comprehensive outpatient programs, Children's houses the world's largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, where its discoveries benefit both children and adults. More than 500 scientists, including eight members of the National Academy of Sciences, nine members of the Institute of Medicine and 10 members of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute comprise Children's research community. For more information about the hospital visit: http://www.childrenshospital.org. Contact: Jeff Webster, Children's Hospital Boston (617) 355-4102, jeffrey.webster@chtrust.org Mary Ellen Shay, Children's Hospital Boston (617) 355-2520, mary.shay@childrens.harvard.edu
Source: PR Newswire
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