Reading Hospital hosts emergency blood drive amid critical shortage

Jan. 26—There may be no group of people more aware of the need for blood donations than those working at Reading Hospital.

They're on the front lines, after all. They're the ones putting donated blood to lifesaving use.

Which made a special event that took place Friday morning make all the sense in the world.

The West Reading hospital played host to the Miller-Keystone Blood Center's blood mobile. The blood drive saw 42 people — nearly all of whom work at the hospital — roll up their sleeves to donate.

"We have been talking about the critical need for blood," Chelsie Ober, manager of emergency preparedness and EMS outreach at Reading Hospital, said moments before donating. "Working in health care, working in a trauma center, you see the need for blood. So why not?"

Officials from Miller-Keystone confirmed that the current need for blood is great.

"Nationwide we are facing a critically low level of blood," Samantha Drust, account manager for Miller-Keystone, said, noting that the winter months are traditionally challenging for community blood centers. "And there's no substitution for the human donor for blood. We can't manufacture it, we can't source it out. It is solely dependent on donations."

Drust said Miller-Keystone needs to see an average of at least 350 donors a day to meet the supply needs of the 35 hospitals in the region to which it provides blood. And that means every donation is incredibly important.

Drust said that oftentimes people don't think about donating blood until it is their family member, friend or neighbor who needs a lifesaving transfusion.

"A pint of blood could potentially save the lives of three people," she said. "How else could you potentially save three lives by giving just 45 minutes of your time?"

Michelle Trupp, chief operating officer for Reading Hospital and senior vice president for Tower Health, said hospital officials were happy to provide an opportunity for employees and members of the public to do just that.

"We are constantly looking for ways to support our community and our patients, and this is just one way that we can help," she said. "Knowing that this is a critical need, our staff immediately stepped up and put this together within 48 hours with the help of the donation center."

Trupp said the need for blood can impact anyone at any time. The hospital uses it in its trauma center, for cancer patients, for open-heart surgery patients, for infants, for mothers who have just given birth and more.

"We use about 10,000 units of blood each year," she said. "Just today we had a patient who needed multiple transfusions."

Drust said the center is grateful to the hospital for hosting the drive, and encourages all eligible blood donors to roll up their sleeves and save lives in our community.

In order to donate blood, individuals must be at least 16 years old, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be feeling healthy. Valid identification, such as a driver's license, school ID or credit card, must be presented when arriving for donation.

A full list of eligibility requirements can be found on the center's website at GIVEaPINT.org.

Individuals unable to donate at the Reading Hospital drive on Friday are encouraged to visit the Miller-Keystone Blood Center, located at 2745 Leiscz's Bridge Road, Bern Township.