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In this issue...Save time while saving lives!....................................Pg. 1Be a volunteer plasma donor! .................................Pg. 2TESTIMONIAL: Mason Helwig .................................Pg. 2Be a LifeServe Advocate! .........................................Pg. 3Schedule Changes ....................................................Pg. 3New Donation Criteria for Young Female ...........Pg. 4Use ‘Em or Lose ‘Em To a Good Cause! ...............Pg. 4
SAVE TIME WHILE SAVING LIVES!There are some great changes to the blood donation process on the way!
We’ve been hard at work implementing and training on a new computer system. What does that mean to you? The donation process will be easier and faster at your next donation! The computer system that we use to track a donation from the time a donor walks in our door to when their unit of blood is transfused to a patient has been replaced with the latest and greatest software available!
Starting in February, these new computer features will improve your donation experience:
> LifeServe QuickPass: You can now fill out your donor history questionnaire the day of your donation from the comfort of wherever you are! Use your mobile device, home computer or whatever technology you like to get a head start on your donation. Completing the questionnaire in advance of your donation will save you time and make your donation process easy. You will receive a donor “ticket” to either print or email to yourself once you’ve completed the questionnaire. That donor ticket begins your donation process when you arrive to donate.
The new process is simple and easy to use - we’re sure you’ll like it as much as we do!
> Blood donor photos: Help us create a better registration process for you by allowing us to take your picture during the registration process. Your photo will be saved in your donor profile, making your future registrations easier! This new feature helps us keep donor records secure.
> New blood donor identification cards: All donors will receive a new blood donor identification card and will be assigned a new, unique donor identification number. This will allow us to track every unit of blood you provide to its final patient destination. Your previous donor identification cards will no longer be needed.
MASON HELWIG DES MOINES, IAAt the tender age
of two, Mason was
diagnosed with two
rare, life-threatening
diseases that only
affect one in one
million males.
During Mason’s battle
he received a total of
four lifesaving blood transfusions and a lifesaving
bone marrow transplant to help him overcome
the diseases.
Today, Mason is healthy and enjoys eating pizza
and cereal, is obsessed with reptiles and could
color or play with his dogs all day. Mason’s mom
Tiffany also mentions that Mason likes to pick on
his older brother!
“Blood donation has played an important part of
saving our son’s life,” said Tiffany. “We have been
faced with a lot of unknowns through our journey
with Mason’s diseases, but one constant was
that when we needed blood, we had access to it
because of generous blood donors. Now that we
use plasma-protein therapies on a monthly basis
for Mason’s immune system, it is reassuring that
LifeServe Blood Center does such a wonderful job
making sure blood products are available. Thank
you, blood donors, for saving my son’s life!”
BE A VOLUNTEER PLASMA DONOR!To help combat a global plasma shortage and to
ensure we’re collecting the right type of donation
from the right patient at the right time, LifeServe
Blood Center offers a plasma program at our
Urbandale, Des Moines, Sioux City, Ames and Mason
City Donor Centers.
Plasma, the liquid portion of the blood, contains
critical proteins and antibodies that some people
are unable to make on their own due to disease,
immune deficiencies or traumatic injuries. Plasma-
protein therapies, made from generous plasma
donations, treat more than 150 different diseases
and hundreds of thousands of patients in need.
A plasma donation is similar to a double red cell
donation. Once the blood is drawn, an automated
machine separates the plasma portion of your blood
for collection and then safely and comfortably
returns your red cells and platelets back to you,
along with some saline.
Donors with type AB, B+ and A+ are great
candidates for a plasma donation!
By accepting plasma donations, LifeServe Blood
Center is allowing more donors, including those who
have been previously deferred due to travel to a
malarial area, to assist in our mission of saving lives.
Plasma donors may donate every 28 days and earn
200 Online Store points for each donation.
Consider donating plasma with LifeServe! Call
or email us with questions you have or to get
scheduled.
CHECK US OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA!Facebook: LifeServe Blood Center
Twitter: @LifeServeBldCtr
Instagram: @LifeServeBloodCtr
Youtube: LifeServe Blood Center
Be a LifeServe Advocate!Did you know…
Iowa is one of only three states in the nation that
taxes their non-profit, community blood centers.
LifeServe has been saddled with significant tax
liabilities as a result of legislation passed into Iowa
law in 2018, increasing our annual tax burden to
approximately $1 million annually. From supplies
used to collect, test, and store blood products to
the juice and cookies our volunteer donors enjoy
following their donation are now subject to Iowa
sales tax. Even computer programs and systems
used to keep our donor information safe and secure
are taxed.
We need your help! We urge you to join our effort
and reach out to your local legislators to become
an advocate for LifeServe! Contact your local
legislators to voice your opinion about this new tax.
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find
Schedule Changes
SHARE YOURSTORY!Has the need for blood impacted your life? Let us know!
Email us at [email protected]
DES MOINES DONOR CENTER CLOSED FEB 8 & 9, OPEN FEB 10
URBANDALE DONOR CENTER CLOSED FEB 8 & 9, OPEN FEB 10
AMES DONOR CENTER CLOSED FEB 8 & 9, OPEN FEB 10
SIOUX CITY DONOR CENTER CLOSED FEB 8 & 9, OPEN FEB 10
MARSHALLTOWN DONOR CENTER CLOSED FEB 8 - 12, OPEN FEB 13
FORT DODGE DONOR CENTER CLOSED FEB 8 - 12, OPEN FEB 13
MASON CITY DONOR CENTER CLOSED FEB 8 - 13, OPEN FEB 14
FEBRUARY 11 – QUICKPASS LAUNCH!
New Donation Criteria for Young Female DonorsSafety is our top priority, whether it’s the safety of the community blood supply, our team members and volunteers, or our blood donors. This spring we’re taking an extra step to ensure our young female donors remain healthy and able to keep donating blood for years to come.
Donated blood contains iron. Most donors replace the iron lost during donation by using iron already stored in their bodies. To ensure young female donors have ample time to rebuild iron in their blood between donations, we have extended the deferral time between their donations.
Beginning February 11, 2019, female donors under the age of 23 will be eligible to donate every 180 days.
Questions about donor eligibility? Call us at 800-287-4903 or e-mail [email protected]
Donate to earn cool gear on the online store!
Use ‘Em or Lose ‘Em To a Good Cause! Have you been saving your blood donation Online Store points? Have your eye on one of our cool store items? Well, listen up! Those online store points won’t last forever. It’s time to use ‘em or lose ‘em.
LifeServers who haven’t donated (or registered to donate) in the past three years will now have their online store points donated back to help fund LifeServe’s scholarship program.
If you’re an active donor and are saving up your online store points for a higher-value item, don’t worry! LifeServers who have registered to donate in the past three years will not be affected by this new expiration process.
LifeServe Blood Center is proud to offer a scholarship program for students seeking post-high school education. Each year, LifeServe provides scholarship dollars to local high school and college students who organize and host successful blood drives during specific months of the year. The program also provides scholarship dollars to students who help host, organize, and recruit donors to their high school blood drives. For more information on LifeServe’s scholarship program, call us at 800-287-4903 or visit lifeservebloodcenter.org/student-opportunities
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO TO HELP SAVE LIVES!Call 800.287.4903 or visit lifeservebloodcenter.org for more information.
