| SPRINGFIELD — Affectionately dubbed the “Mini-Me” by members of the Blood Donation Center, the newest addition to the Mercy Medical Center fleet is a custom-made, 27-foot turtle-top Ford van.
It hit the road earlier this month for blood donation drives, adding two to three days of community outreach to the current five-day per week schedule of the larger, bus-sized bloodmobile that has been on the road since July 2002.
“We rely on the community and the support of our own employees to meet the blood needs of Mercy’s patients,” said Carol Gaines, blood donation marketing coordinator. To meet the needs of our patients, we need to collect about 150 units per week, she said. In recent years, as the cost of blood from outside suppliers has increased, hospitals have expanded efforts for blood donations.
With the two Mercy bloodmobiles and the donations at the hospital, Gaines expects Mercy will be able to rely completely on in-house supplies. “We really encourage our employees to donate blood at Mercy,” said Gaines. In September, the “Mini-Me” will begin travel to various locations and local businesses, including Sisters of Providence
Health System sites around Western Massachusetts. Gaines said she hopes to target smaller businesses, from 50 to 100 people.
The new van has three beds for blood donations. With the four beds in the larger, bus-sized bloodmobile, that means seven people will be able to donate at once when the bloodmobiles visit area businesses together. When the “Mini-Me” isn’t being used for blood drives, plans are to employ it as a mobile wellness clinic, to conduct cholesterol and blood pressure screenings at the business locations.
To donate or for information, call the Mercy Blood Donor Center at 748-9406. |
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