Blood donations yield positive benefits for donors and recipients

A recent briefing from the American Red Cross provides a list of beneficial health initiatives for donors, that give us even more reasons to donate.

Per the American Red Cross, the following health initiatives have been implemented in 2025:

• “We are excited to begin using two new FDA-approved health screening devices, improving the donor experience and reducing our environmental impact.
  • A non-invasive hemoglobin test that eliminates the finger stick and instead uses a finger sensor to measure hemoglobin levels, greatly improving donor comfort.
  • A new automated device to measure temperature, blood pressure and pulse rate, replacing traditional manual devices.
• This year, we will expand our health offerings to include periodic A1C screening, a test commonly used to screen for pre-diabetes and diabetes, for all donors who make a successful donation.
  • Understanding our own health is the foundation for helping prevent chronic illness and saving lives. Blood donation can be a part of that journey.
  • The testing will provide donors with valuable information to maintain their health and well-being to help bridge existing care gaps in communities across the country.
  • Using this information, donors can monitor their health and consult their health care provider about concerns.
  • The test does not require individuals to fast. This is important because eating a nutritious meal prior to blood donation is important.
  • Donors can expect to receive results within one to two weeks through our Red Cross Blood Donor App or on our donor portal at RedCrossBlood.org.”

With the help of our local community, the Graafschap Fire Department will be entering our 2nd year of working with the American Red Cross. We are now an independent collection site, which means all donors are responding directly to us without the marketing help of any other blood drives in the area. What this means is that we are increasing the blood supply for individuals who depend on it for lifesaving and life-changing treatment.

Nationally in 2024, the following goals were reached:

Because of your efforts and dedication to our mission, together we have achieved the following:

• We had an all-time high for Power Red donations and saw the highest total donor retention percentage since 1992.
• Efforts to diversify the blood supply continue to grow, helping to lower the risk of complications from transfusions. For example, donors who identify as African American increased by 11.1%, with over 9,000 more donors.
• Our youth donor base increased for ages 16–17, helping to create a new generation of donors.

If you donated during one of our events, YOU were a part of the success!

If you would like to be a part of this life-saving program, please click this link and make an appointment for our next blood drive on January 30, 2025. The fire station is located at 4534 60th St, Holland 49423.