Lee Memorial Blood Centers use incentives to pump blood to hospitals

With a shortage of a universally acceptable blood type, Lee Memorial Blood Centers are offering a variety of incentives to lure healthy donors.

Free cholesterol tests, blood typing and blood pressure checks are just some of the fringe benefits made available to anyone who donates blood to any of the Lee Memorial Blood Centers, said Nancy Hendrick, the agency's community relations coordinator.

With only 5 percent of the population donating blood and no decrease in catastrophes that include car crashes and shootings, blood centers like Lee Memorial are pumping everything they got into drawing people willing to donate blood.

Right now the center is in dire need of the O negative blood type - a blood type universally compatible with anyone, said Lee Memorial Blood Center recruiter Gloria Bonventure.

The summer months tend to be rougher for the blood banks with the absence of the snowbirds who tend to be strong donors as well as high school and college students. Blood donations usually pick up when the population swells and school is back in session, Hendrick said. Until then, the agency must use any creative measures to attract donors.

The Lee Memorial Blood Centers, which was created to supply Lee Memorial hospitals is giving free diagnostics on donated blood, gifts such as certificates for dinner and T-shirts. Aside from these incentives, the blood center is also making its bloodmobiles available at worksites for donors. And high schools that have blood drives can participate in challenges with other high schools and win scholarships.

"We want to make it as convenient as possible for people," Hendrick said.

Blood facts

Hendrick and the agency's staff must work so hard to bring in donors because of numbers.

Five hundred people need to give blood each week to supply Lee Memorial's hospitals. And out of a group of donors only a percentage will be able to participate. For instance, in order for blood to be useable, the donor must not have traveled to certain parts of the world that carry malaria. Hendrick said they recently had a bloodmobile at the Clerk of Courts in Fort Myers. Though they had 52 donors only 42 of them could participate.

Routine procedures, including cancer care and heart surgery, deplete blood supplies. And unexpected calamities, such as multiple car crashes or gun shootings, tax the supplies even more.

"Every year there's more traumas coming in," Hendrick said.

In 2006, there were 1,976 traumas and in 2007, the numbers swelled to 2,177.

And in emergency cases, such as a shooting, there is no time to even blood type the victim, so patients are given transfusions with the universally acceptable O negative blood, Hendrick said.

One in 16 people have the universally acceptable blood.

Donors are needed for every blood type. Employers and organizations can arrange for bloodmobiles to come to their place of work. High schools can contact the blood center about scheduling

blood drives participating in challenges with other schools. And individuals

can stop by any of the Lee Memorial Blood Centers to donate.

Requirements for donating blood:

>>Must be at least 16 years old

>>You must weigh at least 110 pounds.

>>Donor must be healthy, i.e. you can't be anemic.

For more information, call the Lee Memorial Blood Centers at (239) 334-5333.