Blood Emergency Readiness Corps

Last updated

The Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (known as "BERC" or the "BERC Program") consists of 38 U.S.-based community blood centers that work together to provide an emergency reserve of blood products to respond to a mass shooting or mass casualty event. The program is administered by the Alliance for Community Transfusion Services (ACTS). To date, the BERC reserve has responded to supply blood products needed as a result of the Collierville Kroger shooting (Collierville, TN), the 2021 Oxford High School shooting (Oxford Township, MI), the Tornado outbreak in the Mississippi Valley of December 10–11, 2021, the Robb Elementary School Shooting (Uvalde, TX) on May 14, 2022, the tornado outbreak sequence primarily impacting Perrytown, TX in the Texas Panhandle on June 15, 2023, the tornado outbreak in North Texas on May 26, 2024, the ransomware attack impacting the blood supply in the southeast U.S. on July 30, 2024, and the flooding in southwest Florida as a result of Hurricane Debby on August 5, 2024, and to support the blood needs as a result of Hurricane Milton making landfall in southwest Florida on October 9, 2024. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

The following blood centers are participants in the program:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blood type</span> Classification of blood based on antibodies and antigens on red blood cell surfaces

A blood type is a classification of blood, based on the presence and absence of antibodies and inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). These antigens may be proteins, carbohydrates, glycoproteins, or glycolipids, depending on the blood group system. Some of these antigens are also present on the surface of other types of cells of various tissues. Several of these red blood cell surface antigens can stem from one allele and collectively form a blood group system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Emergency Management Agency</span> United States disaster response agency

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders on April 1, 1979. The agency's primary purpose is to coordinate the response to a disaster that has occurred in the United States and that overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities. The governor of the state in which the disaster occurs must declare a state of emergency and formally request from the President that FEMA and the federal government respond to the disaster. The only exception to the state's gubernatorial declaration requirement occurs when an emergency or disaster takes place on federal property or to a federal asset—for example, the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, or the Space Shuttle Columbia in the 2003 return-flight disaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Knox</span> United States Army post in Kentucky, United States

Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold reserves, and with which it is often conflated. The 109,000-acre base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence, including the Army Human Resources Command. It is named in honor of Henry Knox, Chief of Artillery in the American Revolutionary War and the first United States Secretary of War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blood transfusion</span> Intravenous transference of blood products

Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood products into a person's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood. Early transfusions used whole blood, but modern medical practice commonly uses only components of the blood, such as red blood cells, plasma, platelets, and other clotting factors. White blood cells are transfused only in very rare circumstances, since granulocyte transfusion has limited applications. Whole blood has come back into use in the trauma setting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DEFCON</span> Alert posture used by the United States Armed Forces

The defense readiness condition (DEFCON) is an alert state used by the United States Armed Forces. For security reasons, the US military does not announce a DEFCON level to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blood bank</span> Place where blood donations are collected

A blood bank is a center where blood gathered as a result of blood donation is stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusion. The term "blood bank" typically refers to a department of a hospital usually within a clinical pathology laboratory where the storage of blood product occurs and where pre-transfusion and blood compatibility testing is performed. However, it sometimes refers to a collection center, and some hospitals also perform collection. Blood banking includes tasks related to blood collection, processing, testing, separation, and storage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blood donation</span> Blood withdrawal for use by another person via transfusion

A blood donation occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions and/or made into biopharmaceutical medications by a process called fractionation. A donation may be of whole blood, or of specific components directly (apheresis). Blood banks often participate in the collection process as well as the procedures that follow it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AABB</span> Transfusion medicine and biotherapies association

AABB is an international, not-for-profit organization representing individuals and institutions involved in the field of transfusion medicine and biotherapies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps</span> Federal uniformed service

The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is the uniformed service branch of the United States Public Health Service and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. The commissioned corps' primary mission is the protection, promotion, and advancement of health and safety of the general public.

Cryoprecipitate, also called cryo for short, is a frozen blood product prepared from blood plasma. To create cryoprecipitate, fresh frozen plasma thawed to 1–6 °C is then centrifuged and the precipitate is collected. The precipitate is resuspended in a small amount of residual plasma and is then re-frozen for storage. It is often transfused to adults as two 5-unit pools instead of as a single product. One of the most important constituents is factor VIII, which is why cryoprecipitate is sometimes called cryoprecipitated antihaemophilic factor or cryoprecipitated AHF. In many clinical contexts, use of whole cryoprecipitate has been replaced with use of clotting factor concentrates made therefrom, but the whole form is still routinely stocked by many, if not most, hospital blood banks. Cryo can be stored at −18 °C or colder for 12 months from the original collection date. After thawing, single units of cryo can be stored at 20–24 °C for up to 6 hours. If units of cryo are pooled in an open system, they can only be held at 20–24 °C for up to 4 hours. Presently cryo cannot be re-frozen for storage after it is thawed for use if it is not transfused.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical Reserve Corps</span> American Organization

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a network in the U.S. of community-based units initiated and established by local organizations aimed at meeting the public health needs of their communities. It is sponsored by the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The MRC consists of medical and non-medical volunteers who contribute to local health initiatives, such as activities meeting the Surgeon General's priorities for public health, and supplement existing response capabilities in times of emergency. The MRC provides the structure necessary to pre-identify, credential, train, and activate medical and public health volunteers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurricane Emily (2005)</span> Category 5 Atlantic hurricane

Hurricane Emily was a powerful early season tropical cyclone that caused significant damage across the Lesser Antilles, the Caribbean, and Mexico. The fifth named storm of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, Emily was the only recorded Category 5 Atlantic hurricane to have formed in the month of July until Hurricane Beryl in 2024. It formed on July 11 from a tropical wave, which progressed westward across the Atlantic. Three days later, the hurricane struck Grenada before entering the eastern Caribbean Sea. After fluctuating in intensity, Emily strengthened to attain maximum sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph) on July 16 while passing southwest of Jamaica. Slight weakening occurred before Emily made landfall along Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula on July 18. Quickly crossing the peninsula, Emily emerged into the Gulf of Mexico and reorganized, making a second landfall in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas on July 20. It rapidly weakened and dissipated over land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurricane Katrina disaster relief</span>

The disaster recovery response to Hurricane Katrina in late 2005 included U.S. federal government agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), state and local-level agencies, federal and National Guard soldiers, non-governmental organizations, charities, and private individuals. Tens of thousands of volunteers and troops responded or were deployed to the disaster; most in the affected area but also throughout the U.S. at shelters set up in at least 19 states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Red Cross</span> American humanitarian organization

The American National Red Cross is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded the organization in 1881 after initially learning of the Red Cross from the country of Switzerland. Barton resigned in 1904 with Mabel Thorp Boardman taking control soon after. It is the designated US affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the United States movement to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Hospital emergency codes are coded messages often announced over a public address system of a hospital to alert staff to various classes of on-site emergencies. The use of codes is intended to convey essential information quickly and with minimal misunderstanding to staff while preventing stress and panic among visitors to the hospital. Such codes are sometimes posted on placards throughout the hospital or are printed on employee identification badges for ready reference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Blood Donor Day</span> International observance, June 14

World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) is held on June 14 each year. The event was organised for the first time in 2004, by four core international organizations: the World Health Organization, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations (IFBDO) and the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products, and to thank blood donors for their voluntary, life-saving gifts of blood. World Blood Donor Day is one of 11 official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day, World Chagas Disease Day, World Tuberculosis Day, World Immunization Week, World Patient Safety Day, World Malaria Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Hepatitis Day, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week and World AIDS Day.

Carter BloodCare is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Bedford, Texas. Carter BloodCare currently provides more than 440,000 blood products annually to over 200 hospitals serving patients in more than 50 counties across North, Central and East Texas. One of the largest blood centers in operation in the United States, Carter BloodCare’s mission is “we save lives by making transfusion possible.”.

Blood Centers of the Pacific was a community-based, nonprofit blood center collecting blood donations and provides safe blood and blood components for transfusion and also related services to more than 40 hospitals in the Bay Area and Northern California. Its predecessors included the first blood bank in the United States, which through expansions grew in the San Francisco and Sacramento areas. The Blood Centers of the Pacific name was retired in 2018 when parent Blood Systems, Inc., unified all of its regional operations under the Vitalant name.

Dana Devine is a blood transfusion researcher and the president of AABB. She was the editor-in-chief of Vox Sanguinis from 2012 to 2020. Devine is also the Chief Scientist at Canadian Blood Services and the director of the Centre for Blood Research at the University of British Columbia. In 2015, she was elected as a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. In 2022, she was elected as the President of the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion Collaborative.

References

  1. Connection, The Blood (2021-12-11). "Midwest tornadoes activate nation's emergency blood reserve". GlobeNewswire News Room (Press release) (in French). Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  2. "Michigan shooting activates nationwide emergency blood reserve". www.beckershospitalreview.com. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  3. "Collierville shooting activated emergency blood supply". localmemphis.com. September 24, 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  4. Corps, Blood Emergency Readiness (March 2022). "Majority of U.S. blood centers now part of nation's first emergency blood reserve". WFMZ.com. Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  5. Roberts, Emily (2024-08-05). "Community Blood Center helps hacked blood bank in the South". www.wbay.com. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  6. "Blood Emergency Readiness Corps Activated in Response to Hurricane Debby - ImpactLife". www.bloodcenter.org. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  7. Staff, BakersfieldNow (2024-08-05). "Houchin Blood Bank urges residents to donate blood, Type O most-needed for Hurricane Debby". KBAK. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  8. Reports, Staff (2024-10-11). "Donors needed for Hurricane Milton relief effort". Miami Valley Today. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  9. "BERC Activation for Hurricane Milton - ImpactLife". www.bloodcenter.org. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  10. Christen, Mike. "Blood Assurance joins emergency readiness network". The Daily Herald. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  11. "Blood Emergency Readiness Corps grows to 30 blood centers serving 37 states | Blood Centers of America". bca.coop. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  12. name, Your name or company. "Blood Bank of Hawaii Joins First-in-the-Nation Blood Emergency Readiness Corps, to Assist in Blood Transfusion Access – Blood Bank of Hawaii" . Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  13. "Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC)". Carter BloodCare. 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  14. "Blood centers launch nation's first emergency blood reserve. | Blood Centers of America". bca.coop. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  15. "Coastal Bend Blood Center providing products for Michigan after school shooting". KRIS. 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  16. "CBCO joins effort to increase blood supply during emergencies". KOLR - OzarksFirst.com. 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  17. Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (June 3, 2024). "Blood Emergency Readiness Corps Activated to Respond to Extreme Weather in North Texas". FOX21 News Colorado (Press release). EIN Presswire. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  18. Varma, Juhi (2022-07-15). "Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center joins Blood Emergency Readiness Corps". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  19. "Houchin Community Blood Bank joins nation's first emergency blood reserve". KGET 17. 2021-09-09. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  20. Denton, Evan (10 January 2022). "ImpactLife joins Blood Emergency Readiness Corps". www.kwqc.com. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  21. "Inova Blood Donor Services Joins Nation's First Emergency Blood Reserve". Inova Newsroom. 2022-04-25. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
  22. Staff REPORTS. "Lifeline joins national joint blood bank reserve". The Jackson Sun. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  23. Deckert, Taylor (2022-05-25). "LifeServe Blood Center sending blood to support Texas shooting victims". KMEG. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  24. "LifeSouth partners with blood centers amidst national shortage". WHNT.com. 2022-01-17. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  25. "LifeStream joins National Blood Emergency Readiness Corps". Welcome to San Bernardino County. 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  26. "MEDIC joins nation's first emergency blood reserve". Oak Ridger. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  27. Rader, Tom (26 May 2022). "Miller Keystone sends pints of blood to Texas after deadly school shooting". WFMZ.com. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  28. "Mississippi Blood Services joins mass transfusion program". WJTV. 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  29. "Northern California Community Blood Bank joins First Emergency Blood Reserve". Del Norte Triplicate. 30 December 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  30. Branham, Dana. "Oklahoma Blood Institute joining 5-state coalition to shore up emergency blood reserves". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  31. "Blood donations needed after Texas school shooting, Illinois blood banks say". Shaw Local. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  32. Burrell, Morgan (2021-09-11). "South Texas Blood and Tissue Center joins first-of-its-kind emergency blood reserve". WOAI. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  33. "CBC JOINS NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR MASS TRANSFUSION READINESS – Blood Emergency Readiness Corps". 2022-04-21. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
  34. "Stanford Blood Center Joins The Blood Emergency Readiness Corps". Stanford Blood Center. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  35. "SunCoast Blood Centers joins Blood Emergency Readiness Corps to help respond to mass casualty events". wtsp.com. December 1, 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  36. Francis, Kendal (2021-12-12). "The Blood Center joins nation's first emergency blood reserve". WDSU. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  37. "The Blood Connection joins Blood Emergency Readiness Corps". GREENVILLE JOURNAL. 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  38. "The Community Blood Center responds to emergency blood reserve activation". Merrill Foto News. 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  39. "Vitalant | Blood Transfusion Affiliations". vitalantHealth.org. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  40. "We Are Blood joins nation's first emergency blood reserve to combat blood shortage". KXAN Austin. 2021-09-10. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  41. staff, New Era (21 December 2021). "West Ky Blood Center joins first national emergency blood network". Kentucky New Era. Retrieved 2022-05-30.