A sustainable and resilient blood supply is a critical component of any healthcare system. Blood transfusions are essential, life-saving treatments used to care for thousands of patients each day. Blood is a critical therapy for a variety of conditions, from trauma to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Blood system infrastructure is essential for providing optimal patient care and the healthcare system’s ability to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. Unfortunately, over the past couple of years the stability of the blood supply in the United States has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A recent press release from AABB (Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies) said, “Regions throughout the United States are currently facing significant blood supply challenges, with many blood collectors operating with less than a one-day supply on hand – well below the ideal goal of at least a three-day supply. As a result, hospitals have been forced to delay life-saving blood transfusions and postpone nonessential surgeries. Without immediate action to strengthen the blood supply, the effect on patient care could be disastrous.”
In response to this challenging situation, AABB has launched the Alliance for a Strong Blood Supply. The new alliance is a coalition of organizations committed to ensuring sufficient blood is available for all patients during the pandemic and beyond. The goal of the alliance is to engage the broader healthcare community in proactive efforts to improve the resilience of the blood supply and ensure it will continue to meet patient needs.
Members of the alliance represent the nation's blood centers and hospitals, as well as more than 200,000 physicians who routinely provide blood transfusions. Organizations in the alliance will be facilitating communications regarding the state of the blood supply. They will collaborate on campaigns emphasizing the importance of blood donation and why a robust blood supply is so important to patient care. Member organizations have also pledged to share best practices for good stewardship of the blood supply.
AABB plans to expand the alliance to include patient organizations, public health groups, industry leaders, and other organizations committed to strengthening the blood supply as well as the broader public health infrastructure.
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Helmer Scientific supports blood centers and hospitals, the patients they serve, and their efforts to keep the blood supply safe. We would like to express our gratitude to all staff involved in collecting, processing, and transfusing blood therapies to treat patients and save lives. We are here to help you help you properly store and monitor your blood products.
