For Immediate Release
Contact:
[INSERT CONTACT NAME]
[INSERT BLOOD CENTER NAME]
[INSERT CONTACT NUMBER]
[INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS]
[INSERT BLOOD CENTER NAME] to Honor Its Blood Collection Staff
During Tenth Annual Blood Collectors Week
[INSERT CITY], [INSERT STATE], [INSERT DATE], 2014 – During the week of
September 7-13, [Insert blood center name] will join other blood centers across the
country in celebrating the tenth annual Blood Collectors Week. This annual week
recognizes and celebrates the critical role blood collectors serve in helping to ensure
blood is available to patients in need.
On [Insert Day], [Insert Blood Center Name] will host [Insert Description of Event, Date
and Location] to honor its blood collection staff. Community members are encouraged to
show their support for this profession by making an appointment to donate blood, thereby
helping blood collectors meet local blood supply needs. For more information or to
schedule a donation, please call [insert phone number] or visit [insert Web site].
[Insert Quote from Blood Center CEO or other senior leader about the significance of this
profession and importance to the local community]. [Insert Blood Center Name] employs
nearly [insert number] in the [insert community].
According to AABB, more than 20 million units of blood components are transfused
annually in the United States [substitute or add local figures, if available]. Blood
transfusions are a critical component in the treatment of people with serious medical
conditions, including cancer patients, organ transplant recipients, and accident and
trauma victims. Volunteer blood donors are the primary source of blood used for
transfusions.
Blood collection professionals serve an important role in educating donors and helping to
ensure a safe and comfortable donation experience. Blood collection staff will help
facilitate either a whole blood or apheresis donation. In a whole blood donation, a pint of
blood is collected and then divided into its therapeutic components for transfusion. With
an apheresis donation, a donor gives a specific therapeutic component — platelets,
plasma or red blood cells. Red blood cells represent the blood component in highest
demand with more than 13 million units transfused annually.
Blood Collectors week is sponsored by AABB and Fenwal, A Fresenius Kabi Company
focusing on transfusion technologies. AABB is an international, not-for-profit
association dedicated to advancing transfusion medicine and cellular therapies. Fenwal is
a part of Fresenius Kabi, a global health care company that specializes in lifesaving
medicines and medical devices.
“Blood-collection professionals, through their technical and customer service expertise,
play a critical role in providing a quality experience for blood donors,” said AABB Chief
Executive Officer Miriam A. Markowitz. “Positive blood donation experiences result in
committed donors and the establishment of a safe and adequate blood supply for patients
in need. National Blood Collectors Week is a wonderful opportunity to thank these
professionals for their contributions."
“We are proud to continue our long standing partnership with AABB in supporting Blood
Collector’s Week,” said Dean Gregory, president, medical devices for Fresenius Kabi
North America. “The role of blood collection professionals cannot be understated and
should be recognized since they help save and improve lives every day in our
communities. Blood Collectors Week is one way to say ‘thank you’ to them.”
About [Insert Blood Center Name]
[Insert Blood Center boilerplate information/brief description]
About AABB
AABB is an international, not-for-profit association representing individuals and
institutions involved in the field of transfusion medicine and cellular therapies. The
association is committed to improving health by developing and delivering standards,
accreditation and educational programs that focus on optimizing patient and donor care
and safety. AABB membership consists of nearly 2,000 institutions and 8,000
individuals, including physicians, nurses, scientists, researchers, administrators, medical
technologists and other health care providers. Members are located in more than 80
countries. For more information, visit www.aabb.org.
About Fresenius Kabi
Fresenius Kabi (www.fresenius-kabi.us) is a global health care company that specializes
in medicines and technologies for infusion, transfusion and clinical nutrition. The
company’s products and services are used to help care for critically and chronically ill
patients. The company’s U.S. headquarters is in Lake Zurich, Illinois. The company’s
global headquarters is in Bad Homburg, Germany. For more information about Fresenius
Kabi worldwide, please visit www.fresenius-kabi.com.
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Editors Note: Media representatives are invited to attend the [insert name of event].
[Insert name of blood center senior management representative, other featured speakers]
will be available for interviews following the event. Please RSVP to [insert blood center
PR manager’s name, contact information]