ImpactLife ships blood to region impacted by shooting in Michigan

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - ImpactLife ships units of red blood cells to Michigan supporting blood inventory needs after the shooting at Oxford High School.

ImpactLife said in a media release, the request for outside support was made by a fellow member of Blood Centers of America and a provider to hospitals in the affected region north of Detroit, Michigan.

“Following a mass transfusion incident, hospitals need to replace units of blood that were used in the initial emergency response,” said Mike Rasso, Director, Sales and Inventory for ImpactLife. “The type O-positive red blood cells we shipped to our colleagues in Michigan will help replenish the local blood supply in the affected region.”

ImpactLIfe asks donors to schedule appointments at ImpactLife donor centers or mobile blood drives to help ensure the ongoing availability of blood components for hospitals in the ImpactLife service region and to help meet emergency needs that may arise within our region or around the country.

“Resource sharing partners from around the country contribute what we are able to provide without ever compromising the needs of our local hospitals and that is what we were able to do {Monday} in terms of sending blood to Michigan,” Public Relations manager for ImpactLife, Kirby Winn said.

In January, ImpactLife will formally launch its participation in Blood Emergency Readiness Corps, a group of blood providers from across the country that have committed to collecting extra blood units on a rotating, “on call” schedule, ImpactLife said. The extra blood products will be held in reserve for any critical-need scenario, such as a mass shooting or natural disaster.

BERC members have also supported the Michigan blood supply through an activation of the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps.

“The needs of our local hospitals will always come first,” said Rasso. “But we are always glad to be a resource-sharing partner when the local blood supply is sufficient to meet outside needs. Our participation as a member of Blood Emergency Readiness Corps will help strengthen our ability to respond in times of crisis.”

ImpactLife said to schedule an appointment, call (800) 747-5401, schedule online at www.bloodcenter.org, or by using the ImpactLife mobile app.

For more information on the name change, see www.bloodcenter.org/impactlife. For more information, see www.bloodcenter.org and find us @impactlifeblood on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat

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