GRAND RAPIDS, MI (February 29, 2008): For the first time ever, Metro Health Hospital has won the Michigan Community Blood Centers Hospital Holiday Challenge, a friendly competition among five Kent and Barry County hospitals to recruit blood donors and help reduce the risk of blood shortages during the holiday season. A plaque commending Metro Health’s win was presented on Friday, February 29, at Metro Health Hospital in the Metro Health Professional Building (lower level), Conference Room A/B, at 2122 Health Drive SW, Wyoming. Floyd Wilson, vice president of Human Resources at Metro Health, accepted the award on behalf of the hospital.

The 2007 Hospital Holiday Challenge was the sixth consecutive year for the friendly competition. Participating hospitals included Metro Health Hospital, Saint Mary’s Health Care, Spectrum-Butterworth, and Spectrum-Blodgett (Grand Rapids); and Pennock Hospital (Hastings). Each hospital held one blood drive, with the exception of Spectrum-Butterworth, which held 2 drives. The drives were held from December 20, 2007 to January 4, 2008. Together the facilities signed in 364 prospective blood donors and collected a total of 284 pints of blood.

How each hospital ranked in the competition was determined by the percentage of increase in number of blood donors and first-time donors recruited compared to the previous year.

To win, Metro Health achieved an increase of 231% in donor participation over last year’s results, as well a 340% increase in first time donors. Together, all the competing hospitals increased donor participation by 124% over last year’s competition and first time donors increased by 123%.

“We are extremely grateful to the local hospitals that participated in the competition by scheduling drives around the holiday season,” said Heidi McDaniel, director of donor recruitment for Michigan Community Blood Centers in West Michigan.“This time of year is always one of the most difficult to keep the blood supply flowing in at a steady pace. We work hard to keep the blood donations coming in during the holiday season and appreciate these hospitals boosting our blood supply this year.”

Michigan Community Blood Centers is the independent, nonprofit blood bank that provides 100 percent of the regular blood supply for all hospitals in Kent and Barry counties. Statewide, Michigan Community Blood Centers provides more than 100,000 units of blood each year in supplying 100 percent of the regular blood supply for hospitals in four major regions of the state (combined pop.1.5 million). A member of America’s Blood Centers, the largest provider of blood and blood-related services for the US and Canada, Michigan Community Blood Centers also responds to blood needs beyond the local community, including military and disaster-related calls for blood.

© Michigan Community Blood Centers