LG Health employees gather for a photo opportunity at the HUP Blood Drive.
The national blood supply crisis has affected hospitals and health systems across the country in recent months, including the University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine).
The Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Blood Donor Center historically collects blood donations in Lancaster to ensure patients have adequate access to blood in moments of need; whereas, other Penn Medicine hospitals traditionally rely on the American Red Cross for their blood supply.
As blood products grew scarce, the LG Health Blood Donor Center – Penn Medicine’s only active blood donor center – partnered with Penn Transfusion Medicine to hold two all-day blood drives at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania’s (HUP) Pavilion – one on Saturday, Jan. 22, and one on Saturday, Feb. 5. The LG Health blood donor center and the team at HUP used equipment, materials and staff from both locations to collect as many units as possible per hour.
LG Health Blood Donor Center employees traveled to Philadelphia, with some staff arriving the night before each blood drive, to prepare for the Saturday events. Thanks to their commitment, passion and resilience, the team collected a total of 153 units of blood from 180 individuals. All products were then sent back to the Lancaster General Hospital (LGH) Blood Bank for final processing.
Donor Center employees included:
- Clarisa Armstrong, Phlebotomist
- Charles Connon, Recruiter
- Hirut Amante, RN
- Jeanne Eckman, RN
- Jessica Lowe, Phlebotomist
- Katlyn Mowery, RN
- Katrina Fausnacht, RN
- Linda Conover, Phlebotomist
- Lori Topper, manager, Laboratory Operations
- Meagan Andrews, Phlebotomist
- Melanie Donmoyer, Phlebotomist
- Natali Giourtis, LPN
- Shauna McCauley, Supervisor
- Tisha Tipton, RN
- Yancel Morales, Phlebotomist
“The blood drive held at HUP was a huge success and we have the graciousness and hard work of our LG Health Blood Donor team and the LGH Blood Bank to thank for that,” said Brian Stambaugh, director, laboratory operations, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. “They deserve to be recognized for going above and beyond to help patients in need – and this collaboration shows the benefit of being a part of the greater Penn System.”
To read more about the collaboration between LG Health and HUP on blood donation, visit HUPdate’s online newsletter.