SURF hosts annual onsite blood drive
The drive exceeded its unit goal, attracted first-time donors
This July, the Environment, Safety and Health Department (ESH) at Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) hosted an onsite blood drive. Through donations from more than two dozen employees, the campaign exceeded its goal.
“The blood drive was a huge success! Our goal was to collect 22 units and we ended the day with 27,” said Laura Baatz, occupational health nurse at SURF.
For this initiative, SURF partnered with Vitalant, one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit community blood service providers.
"Blood usage by patients has increased as people seek medical care they put off during the height of the pandemic and as people resume activities that can lead to more traumas,” said Jennifer Ash, donor recruitment representative for Vitalant.
Eighty percent of the population will need a blood transfusion in their lifetime; however, while 60 percent of the population is eligible to donate, less than 10 percent actually donate. “Every two seconds, a patient in the U.S. needs a transfusion," said Ash. "As you can see, the need is real and never ending. Thank you for partnering to save lives."
“We would like to thank everyone who donated and the team at Vitalant for making this blood drive successful,” said Baatz. To learn more about how you can give blood or to schedule a donation, visit Vitalant’s online portal.
The Environmental, Safety and Health, Department at Sanford Underground Research Facility promotes health and safety in the workplace, as well as healthy living and wellness for all employees. If you have questions about health and wellness, please contact our occupational health nurse, Laura Baatz, who is onsite daily at lbaatz@sanfordlab.org.