STANDFORD BLOOD DRIVE [Blood Drive 2009]

Stanford Blood Center was created within the Department of Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine in 1978. The Blood Center was created to meet the increasingly large and complex transfusion needs of Stanford Hospital and Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, and to perform research and teaching.

The Stanford Blood Center strives to maintain a standard of service excellence in meeting the needs of physicians, and diverse donor and patient populations in our community.

The Blood Center has developed a large Automated Blood Collection program, including Double Red Blood Cell collection and multiple plasma product collection, in response to the growing needs of hospital programs targeting oncology, bone marrow and solid organ transplant. The Stanford Blood Centeris the second largest transfusion facility in the United States, with a wide array of specialized products and services.

The Autologous (self-donation) and Designated Donations Department is dedicated to responding to the special needs of this group of donors. Stanford's Donor Services Department continues to adapt to the ever-changing needs of the ethnically diverse patient population. Community groups assist this effort through community education, seminars, and blood and tissue typing drives.

In the Spring of  2008 our Association President, John Wurdinger, was contacted by Kevin O’Neill, of the Stanford Blood Center, and asked if the Menlo Park Firefighters  would be interested in participating in a Blood Drive.  Our Association said yes and in June of 2008, the Menlo Park Firefighters Association llaunched a highly successful, inaugural blood drive.

A total of 15 Firefighter Association Members and Menlo Park Fire District Staff donated blood at three Stanford Blood Centers. We were extremely proud to be of assistance to the Stanford Blood Center and are happy that we were able to do our part to help meet the acute blood product needs of our community hospitals last summer.

This year we have contacted the Blood Center once again and hope to have a larger turnout at our Second Annual Menlo Park Firefighters’ Association Blood Drive during the week of June 8th, 2009.  For more information please on the Stanford blood center please go to http://bloodcenter.stanford.edu/ .