FROM THE PRESIDENT

You've probably heard the popular saying, "Practice random acts of kindness." Donating blood that could help save the life of someone you haven't met is the ultimate act of kindness.

It takes citizens coming forward to help with blood donations. Employees from the Texas Medical Center Corp. recently attested to this practice when they made a trip to the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center to donate. Who better to see the need for blood than those who spend time every day in this "city of health" - the health care professionals, students and volunteers who work in the Texas Medical Center.

Hospitals often run short of blood when holidays or natural disasters such as Tropical Storm Allison occur. In the past three months since the storm, Texas Medical Center area hospitals have been brought back to full-capacity operation. And as operations and other medical procedures take place, the need for blood is critical. Also, when blood supplies were expended due to the storm, blood was shipped to Houston from many other states to aid those in need. Now Houston needs to make available that same option to these states should they need it, in return for their assistance.

Bill Teague, Blood Center president and CEO, says 700 donations are needed each day to keep Houston medical facilities up and running, however, this is the minimum needed and leaves virtually no surplus.

It is estimated that nearly 500,000 pints of blood are donated each year to facilities in the Texas Medical Center. The largest amount comes from the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. In addition, some Texas Medical Center hospitals have their own on-site blood banks. However, most blood collected comes from church and business-sponsored blood drives. High schools and universities also have strong blood donor programs for their faculty and students during the traditional school year. These donations comprise 80 percent of the Blood Center's donations. Ten fixed donation sites are available throughout the city, as well as 25 mobile sites deployed each day.

It takes about five to seven minutes to give slightly less than one pint of blood. If all physicians, scientists, students, employees and volunteers in the Texas Medical Center area came forth to give blood regularly, there would be no blood shortage. Let's try to make this dream a reality, for the health of Houston, and for the 220 health care institutions served by the Blood Center. They depend on it.

The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center headquarters are located in the Reliant Astrodome area at 1400 La Concha Ln. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call (713) 791-6620 for more information or visit http://www.giveblood.org.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/09_01_01/page_03.html