Several times a year, the Glass Pavilion is filled with Red Cross-affiliated helpers taking blood and with students donating blood. Known as the JHU blood drives, these help contribute to the blood supply needed for transfusions during medical procedures.
Blood drives are extremely important, especially during hurricane seasons, for hospitals to maintain a stable level of blood supply. The JHU blood drives are usually held once or twice a semester, and they usually have a fairly large turnout.
In order to donate blood, there are a few guidelines and qualifications that must be met; a screening process has been implemented since early 2003. Before you can donate blood, you must read an information pamphlet and verify your date of birth, your name, and your social security number.
This verification process is then followed by a preliminary finger prick to ensure that there is enough iron in your blood. Afterwards, there is a temperature check, pulse check and blood pressure check. If you pass all of these tests, you have one final moment to decide to back out of the blood donation.
If you decide to continue with the process, you will be escorted into the donation area of the Glass Pavilion to donate blood. There are a few exceptions to these general guidelines, however. If you have lived outside the country for an extended period of time, if you suffer from blood-related diseases, or if you have donated blood in the past eight weeks, you are disqualified from the donor pool. For a complete list of these restrictions, please visit http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00. html#trav.
The JHU blood drives are generally organized by the American Red Cross with the help of several student groups on campus. They lend their support and time to these drives.
Alpha Phi Omega, Hopkins' community service coed fraternity, is responsible for publicizing each blood drive and preregistering donors. Circle K, another community service organization, provides several staff members to help with the two-day events. The JHU Chapter of Red Cross is, of course, largely involved with each blood drive.
"My interest in volunteering for the Red Cross Blood Drive stems from the fact that the Red Cross has an enormous impact on saving lives. Their influence and effectiveness during times of crises is what makes their cause so worthwhile," said Julie Fierro, Alpha Phi Omega Representative for the JHU blood drives.
Members also publicize the event and provide volunteer staff members. The office of faculty, staff, and retiree programs, which is the main body responsible for hosting the blood drives, provides even more staff to assist the program. They are also in charge of mailing the Hopkins community in order to advertise the blood drives and other aspects of blood donation six times a year.
Blood drives on the Homewood Campus are by no means the only ones held on the Johns Hopkins-affiliated campuses. In fact, the East Baltimore medical campus, together with the Johns Hopkins University Hospital, has blood drives several times a year. There is also a Peabody blood drive held in Mount Vernon and an Applied Physics Lab blood drive held on the Aberdeen, MD campus.
To become involved as a staff member for the blood drives, you may contact any of the organizations involved, such as Circle K, the JHU Chapter of Red Cross and Alpha Phi Omega.
If you are interested in becoming a donor, there are several ways to get involved. The most efficient and preferred way to donate blood is to preregister before an upcoming drive. You can make an appointment either in person or on-line by visiting http://webapps.jhu.edu/blooddrive. You may also just walk in to donate blood. However, preference is given to those who have preregistered. If they cannot fit you into the schedule, you will be unable to donate blood.
The drives are generally held over a two-day period, and the hours are between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the Homewood Campus. The upcoming drives to be held in the Glass Pavilion are scheduled for July 12 to 13, September 21 to 22, and November 17 to 18.
If you were unable to donate blood this past semester, there will be several opportunities if you are staying in Baltimore over the summer, or if you will be returning to the Homewood campus for the fall 2005 semester.
For more information regarding the JHU Blood Drives, send an e-mail to hmwd.blooddrive@jhu.edu or call (410) 516-0138.
