Blood safety and the blood supply for area hospitals are among several topics to be discussed.

Traverse City, MI:  Sharon Childs, Director of Donor Services for Michigan Community Blood Centers in northwest Michigan, will be the featured speaker at a public information presentation on April 5 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the new Fife Lake Public Library.

On staff with Michigan Community Blood Centers for more than 35 years, Childs supervises blood donor recruiters as well as nurses and phlebotomists who draw the blood given by volunteer donors. At the Fife Lake Library, she will talk about several blood-related issues including blood safety, blood donation, blood typing,  blood components and storage, the importance of the blood donor “pool” within the community, and the source of the blood supply for hospitals in this region.

Childs stresses that her talk will feature something of interest to just about everyone, no matter what their age or whether they have ever donated blood or received blood transfusions.

“You don’t have to be a blood donor or recipient to come and find out more about this lifesaving resource,” she says. “On average, one out of every five people entering the hospital will need blood. Someday it could be you or someone you love, and that’s a good reason to come and find out some key facts about blood and our local blood supply.” 

At her April 5 talk, Childs also will provide information about the free blood typing and hematacrit testing that Michigan Community Blood Centers plans to offer at the community blood drive that Fife Lake Library will host on April 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Michigan Community Blood Centers administers its northwest Michigan operations from a permanent donation center and laboratory facility in Traverse City, and also conducts many mobile blood drives at business, institutional, and community sites in this area. Statewide, Michigan Community Blood Centers provides 100 percent of the blood supply to hospitals in four major regions with a combined population of approximately 1.5 million. More information is available at www.miblood.org; or by calling  616-935-3030 or toll-free 1-866-MIBLOOD.

© Michigan Community Blood Centers