BLOOD EMERGENCY READINESS CORPS ACTIVATED TO SUPPORT NEW ORLEANS BLOOD SUPPLY

The Blood Emergency Readiness Corps was activated in response to the attack on New Year celebrations in New Orleans that took place New Year’s Day.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, UNITED STATES, January 7, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC) was activated in response to the attack on New Year celebrations in New Orleans that took place during the early morning hours of New Year’s Day. The BERC activation has provided blood components needed to replenish the region’s blood supply in the immediate aftermath of the attack that claimed 14 lives and injured dozens more.

BERC was established in 2021 to form an emergency blood reserve that could be utilized in the event of a sudden increase in demand for blood. Blood providers across the U.S. participate in BERC by setting aside additional units of blood on a rotating, “on call” schedule. The additional blood products are held in reserve for any critical-need scenario, such as a natural disaster or mass casualty event.

“Our hearts go out to those affected by this tragic event. In disastrous situations such as this, it is important for our communities to join forces.” said Christopher Swafford, President and CEO of Mississippi Blood Services, one of the providers that was on-call to provide blood in the BERC activation. “We are grateful for the blood donors who have given us the ability to join our BERC partners in taking action at this time.”

Blood components shipped to New Orleans have helped supplement the local supply maintained by The Blood Center (www.thebloodcenter.org) in New Orleans. These shipments have helped ensure blood components are available for ongoing patient care in the region.

The following community-based blood centers were on call to ship blood components in the BERC activation: Blood Bank of Hawaii, Houchin Community Blood Bank, ImpactLife, Inova Blood Donor Center, LifeStream Blood Bank, Mississippi Blood Services, Northern California Community Blood Bank, South Texas Blood & Tissue, Stanford Blood Center, Vitalant, and We Are Blood.

Blood providers in the BERC network remind potential donors that the need for blood is constant and encourage all eligible donors to schedule appointments for donation with their local blood provider. America’s Blood Centers (ABC) offers an online tool to help donors find a nearby ABC member center at https://americasblood.org/for-donors/find-a-blood-center/.

About Blood Emergency Readiness Corps

The Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC), a collaborative effort of 39 community blood centers, was founded in 2021 to help blood providers meet immediate transfusion needs when faced with a large-scale emergency. Through BERC, participating blood centers from across the United States have joined forces to prepare for mass transfusion disasters, ensuring their ability to meet emerging needs without delay or uncertainty.

To see a list of participating blood centers and to learn about recent BERC activations, visit www.bloodemergencyreadinesscorps.org.

Nelson Hellwig
Blood Emergency Readiness Corps
nelson.hellwig@actscorp.org
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