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Inside this Issue: The Case for Call Center Outsourcing Page 4-8 Media Study Shows Accessibility Driving Demand for Content Page 10-12 Red Cross Month Page 13-14 Blood Dates in American Red Cross History Page 16-17 Global Giving Page 18-20 Spring Buzz Page 22-23
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The Case for Call Center Outsourcing Why blood centers partner with outside call centers and how they make it work for them.
In this age of hyper-connectivity, we can communicate in any number of ways. We can email, Tweet, post and text. We can even “Skype” if we want to. Yet telephone calls still have a place in the world of blood donor recruitment. “Nearly 50 percent of the people who donate at our donor centers indicate that they came in because they got a call from American Red Cross,” says ADRP Treasurer Chuck Moore, director of telerecruitment for the American Red Cross Southeast Division based in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Yes, we contact potential donors face-to-face, by email, text and use social media, but we also telephone because some people want to be telephoned.”
by Amy Francisco
The appeal of hearing a human voice may ensure that the call always remains part of blood centers’ strategy for communicating with potential donors, but it’s how centers are incorporating their calling programs into their everyday operations that seems to be changing. More often, blood centers are seeking ways to make their telerecruitment functions more efficient and cost-effective. For the American Red Cross, it meant consolidating its blood center call center operations into three locations across the United States. For others, it has meant outsourcing or partnering with vendors that specialize in telerecruitment.
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Why do centers outsource their calling programs? Some blood centers begin to explore the option to outsource their calling operations if their in-house efforts simply aren’t producing the results they need. “We had our own call center, but it wasn’t functioning optimally,” says Harvey Schaffler, executive director of Donor Marketing for the New York Blood Center (NYBC), a large blood center that has outsourced all of its calling operations since 1999. “We would have probably had to relocate it and hire an entirely new staff, so looking at our options, we chose to provide the strategic guidance but leave the actual phone calls to an organization devoted to that.” Smaller blood centers sometimes outsource for the same reason, but also because it’s expensive to maintain an in-house call center with the needed infrastructure and staff. Community Blood Center in Kansas City, Mo., is one such center. It has partnered with a vendor for its telerecruitment needs since 2002. “Prior to outsourcing, we had done it ourselves. We had people here, making those phone calls,” says ADRP President David Graham, Community Blood Center’s vice president for Donor and Hospital Services. “But we weren’t getting the collection numbers we needed. To do that as well as it needed to be done, we would have had to make an investment in people, training, hardware and other tools we weren’t prepared to make. For an organization our size with the call volume we have, it didn’t make sense.”
What exactly can a vendor that specializes in telerecruitment do? A company that specializes in telerecruitment can usually do any kind of calling a blood center does in-house – and then some. While some centers may wish to keep calls for patient-specific donations with in-house staff due to the specialized knowledge such searches require, vendors can handle active and lapsed donor calling as well as conversion and cold calling. Some blood centers hire vendors to do all of their calling, while others use outside call centers only for special campaigns. “Originally we worked with [our vendor] to call our whole blood donors who were donating at our fixed-site donation centers, and we still use them for that,” Graham says. “But [using a vendor] has allowed us to do other types of calling we weren’t equipped to do before. We now have them do some for our mobile blood drives, cold calling, lapsed donor calling and platelet calling. It just gives us a tremendous amount of flexibility. It’s truly like having a fully functional call center down the hall. They’re able to do things we could never do without a huge investment.” In addition to making phone calls, some telerecruitment vendors can receive them, too. NYBC uses its vendor, Donor Dialogue, to handle inbound calls. The blood center’s 800-number is answered by Donor Dialogue employees in Michigan. Another vendor, Incept, also handles inbound calls. Its employees, dubbed CMEs (conversational marketing experts), take calls at the company’s Canton, Ohio, call center. In addition to recruitment calling, Incept offers text messaging. Potential donors must agree to receive the reminders via a double optin process, then they receive customized text messages two days before their appointments, and again two hours before. “Text reminders have shown a considerable lift of 2 percent to our overall productive donor rate,” says Billie Johnson, Incept’s vice president for client results.
the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2012 / Page 5
She says that her company also uses text messages how such vendors typically price their services. for recruiting in some instances, such as alerting donors “It’s structured around pay-for-results,” says Graham, who when there’s a drive in their neighborhood. “It’s all about works with Donor Dialogue. “We don’t pay until a donor communicating with donors using the method they prefer,” walks in the door. If they don’t keep an appointment, there’s Johnson says. “We make sure our services are as diversified no charge to us. So they’re going to do everything they can as possible so we have various channels for communication to ensure the donor gets through the door.” with donors.” Incept also charges based on results, but a bit differently. Donor Dialogue’s menu of communication channels is “We charge only for a good, usable unit,” Johnson says. varied as well. The company offers “donorcasts,” which “We don’t charge for deferrals or QNSs [quantity not are voice messages recorded by the blood center that the sufficient]. If a blood center can’t take the blood and use it in company can send out to thousands a hospital, we don’t bill for it.” of phone numbers in a short time Because some vendors such as ”They’re able to do things period. Donor Dialogue and Incept don’t we could never do without get paid unless they get results, The company can also perform call list cleanup for blood centers. they charge more for lapsed donor a huge investment.” “You’d be surprised how many calls than for calls to people who’ve donors you call who will say, ‘Yes, given blood; lapsed donor - David Graham recently you can call me now,’ if you ask calls require more time. “If a donor if they want to remain on the dogave blood within the last year or not-call list,” says Pat Bezjak, vice president for business donates on a regular basis, it’s going to be an easier call to development with Donor Dialogue. make,” says Bezjak. “But a lapsed donor hasn’t come in for Basically, if your marketing team dreams up a some reason. Not only do we need to call them, but we need telerecruitment task or campaign, a vendor can probably to convince them to give blood donation another try. It’s the execute it for you. Moore, of the American Red Cross, same with cold calling. We’ve got to do a little more work.” advises blood centers interested in exploring outsourcing to Pricing can also vary based on the characteristics of have their marketing directors meet with representatives from donors in a particular area, so vendors often ask blood several vendors to get a feel for what’s offered. “It can be a centers for statistics such as their donors’ show rates. “In one really big game-changer for small blood centers that have part of the country, the show rate may be 60 percent, but been doing manual calling using a spreadsheet,” he says. in another part of the country, only 40 percent of donors “They may be surprised what different call centers can offer typically show up,” Bezjak says. “So we ask centers what them.” their experience has been and use that information to judge how hard it is going to be to turn that donor base.” Because of this type of variance from blood center to blood What does it cost? center, Incept has standard “test rates” when starting out with a new client. “We’ll do a 90-day test at those rates, Pricing varies by vendor, type of service rendered and even how long it’s been since a donor on a call list has given then evaluate how donors responded during the test period,” blood. The only way for a blood center to find out if hiring a explains Johnson. “Then we’ll adjust up or down for a longterm contract.” vendor to handle its calling program will be cost-effective is In some cases, call center vendors offer a fixed hourly to get a customized quote from a vendor (or two or three). rate. Incept has done this when conducting market research But, going into such a meeting, it helps to know a bit about surveys for blood centers. Donor Dialogue will do it if centers don’t have data on show rates or if centers request
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that the company do some type of special calling campaign. “If you’re doing a pilot study, we may charge a fixed fee for a fixed time,” Bezjak says. “If neither [the center or the vendor] has any idea how it’s going to go, we may charge an hourly fee.”
What are the benefits of hiring a call center vendor? Some blood centers, like NYBC and the smaller Community Blood Center in Kansas City, report that they have saved money by hiring a telerecruitment vendor to handle their calling programs. “Because we pay for performance, we know what it’s going to cost us for a successful donation,” says NYBC’s Schaffler. “We don’t have to devote all the attention necessary to managing a large department, particularly one populated by a lot of part-timers. We can direct all our energies to a marketing program that we can develop for ourselves. Using a [calling vendor] is just part of our plan for execution.” This freedom to focus on a blood center’s core business is perhaps the benefit most frequently noted by blood centers that have tried it. “Our core business is recruiting and collecting blood,” says Moore of the American Red Cross. “It’s expensive to set up a call center, and if it’s not your core business, it’s not the smartest thing to do.” What is smart, they say, is to hire a company for which making calls is its core business – a company that has already invested in the technology infrastructure and staffing required to run a state-of-the-art calling center. Such a calling center can be expensive to set up and upgrade as technology evolves. Plus, needs change, they say. Since NYBC first partnered with its call center vendor 12 years ago, the blood center has come to rely less on telemarketing than it once did. Today, phone calls are just one channel of the center’s communications. “If we’d built a new call center 12 years ago at a certain capacity, today we likely wouldn’t be using that capacity,” Schaffler says. “With DRM [Donor Recruitment Management] software, about one-third of our donors schedule their own appointments online. In the past, that would have required telemarketing. So [the benefit] is taking advantage of changing technology and customer preferences.” He says partnering with a call center vendor gives NYBC access to the latest telerecruitment technologies for high-volume calling. “We’ve made a significant investment in our infrastructure,” says Doug Emig, president of Donor Dialogue. “One of the devices we have makes 150,000 calls per week on blood management calls alone. We also use predictive dialing, which has the capability to dial 10 or 12 numbers at a time. Only one or two will typically answer, and those calls are forwarded to our agents. They’re not spending time listening to answering machines. They only get a call when the dialer picks up a live call. It’s much more efficient [than traditional calling].” Incept’s Johnson says that the vendor’s in-house IT staff is an advantage that most blood centers don’t have. “They understand the industry and the data, so we can do a ton of things a blood center doesn’t usually have the IT resources for,” she says. Johnson explains that after calling for a blood center for a time and keeping records, staff can look at the outcomes of the calls and predict how likely it is that those being called will donate in the future. “We can then tailor our scripts,” she says. “Our [employees] know the histories of donors so they know how to talk to them.”
the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2012 / Page 7
Another benefit, as with any service provided by an outside vendor, is that blood centers can use an outside call center only as much as they need it. “It gives us flexibility when calling needs increase or decrease,” Schaffler says. “We can turn the switch up or down without having to go into the mode of hiring or laying off staff.” Finally, blood centers that partner with call center vendors say they appreciate the enhanced reporting functionality. “It’s a numbers thing,” Graham says. “When we were doing it ourselves, we didn’t have the measurement tools to hold our callers accountable. [Vendors] have automated reporting. They know how many people they’re calling and the success rate. I know how we are performing weekly and monthly. I can even get a recording of a particular phone call if I get a complaint.”
What are the downsides and how do blood centers overcome them? The most obvious downside for blood centers that currently have in-house call centers is the possibility of having to reassign or terminate employees whose jobs will be done by the vendor. “That’s a tough decision in any environment, but especially this economic environment,” Graham says. “You may have 10 people you’re not going to have anymore. It’s always tough to make a decision that affects people’s jobs, but where we are as an industry, you’ve got to look at what’s allowing you to put out the most efficient operation you can.” Another negative would be contracting with a vendor that doesn’t have a good training program for its employees or that doesn’t have experience in the blood banking industry. “Some large call centers do work for other industries, but the blood banking business is a lot different,” Moore says. “You want to really vet the call center (including checking references) and meet with them to determine if they
understand the challenges of recruiting blood donors. Most of the ones that are involved in blood banking understand that. Some have even taken it to some sophisticated levels when it comes to communicating with them.” Loss of control is another major concern of blood centers considering a relationship with a call center vendor. How can someone hundreds of miles from the blood center be as knowledgeable or responsive as someone sitting in the center? The answer is that that person won’t be, unless the blood center manages the relationship well. Community Blood Center’s Graham came onboard a year into his blood center’s relationship with its call center vendor, and he says he found that because no one at the center was managing it as closely as needed, there were problems such as donor complaints about incorrect driving directions. “But it was up to us to give [the vendor] proper directions. We didn’t have regular meetings with them. There was no, ‘Let’s talk about what’s coming up.’” Graham says blood center marketing staff must interact with the vendor much like they would with a department in their own blood center. “When you have something that’s going to affect the centers, they have to know about it,” he says. “When the center is critically low on certain blood types, let them know. They operate only on what you tell them.” Incept’s Johnson agrees that collaboration is key. “It is all about [the vendor] being an integrated partner,” she says. “Staying in touch with the blood center’s goals and really keeping our finger on the pulse of the blood center makes us an extension of the blood center, not just an outside partner.” The close relationship needed to make the arrangement successful is one reason vendor Donor Dialogue prefers to call it co-sourcing rather than outsourcing. “Outsourcing sounds like you’re turning over control,” Bezjak says. “We want there to be collaboration because blood centers’ expertise is blood donors, how to recruit them and what they need. We collaborate to use our knowledge and their expertise.”
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Which Will drive more donors to your door? vote A. or B. At Booth 4 By voting, you set the course for a powerful new ad campaign that you can leverage.
Sponsored by Terumo BCT, Inc. in partnership with ADRP.
Media Study Shows Accessibility Driving Demand for Content Republished from: http://www.deloitte. com/view/en_US/us/press/Press-Releases/
Sixth edition of national media study has implications for when and how to reach donors The proliferation of devices is increasing access to content, which recent data suggest is driving more consumption. Professional services firm, Deloitte’s sixth edition “State of the Media Democracy” survey reveals that the introduction of new platforms has led to increases in the consumption of movies and books. Deloitte’s State of the Media Democracy (sixth edition) survey assesses media consumption preferences of nearly 2,000 consumers, ages 14 to 75 years old in the United States, revealing significant trends including increased access to content driving consumption, smartphones continuing to challenge other devices and the role of DVRs in preserving consumers’ cable and satellite television subscriptions.
Accessibility Drives Demand Access to content is increasing American media consumption. Movies are available on a wider array of platforms – home TV via cable, satellite, DVD, pay-perview, Internet and online via streaming/downloading to a personal computer, gaming console, smartphone or tablet. As recently as 2009, only 28 percent of Americans reported streaming a movie; today, 42 percent report streaming.
Moreover, the number of people citing streaming delivery of a movie to their computer or television as their favorite way of watching a movie rose to 14 percent from 4 percent in 2009. Most tellingly, in 2007, 37 percent of people said that they had not viewed a movie, available for purchase or rental, during the past six months. In 2011, that percentage of non-consumers dropped to only 19 percent. The phenomenon of eBook readers increasing consumer purchases of books is another encouraging sign that digital content married with new devices can increase consumption. While only 23 percent of respondents preferred to be able to download their books, magazines and newspapers to a digital device in 2007, more than one-third of respondents (36 percent) now express interest in this option. Newspapers have also benefited from increased accessibility via smartphones. This year’s survey found that 20 percent of leading millennials (respondents between the ages of 23 and 28) have read their favorite newspaper in the last six months on a smartphone – up from 9 percent last year. Eleven percent of leading millennials have also stated that this is their favorite method for reading the newspaper – up from 3 percent last year. “Our data shows that while Americans may be less interested in physical content, their appetite for digital content continues to grow. That appetite, coupled with the introduction of new technologies, is leading consumers
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to access the content they want on a number of different devices,” said Phil Asmundson, vice chairman and U.S. media & telecommunications sector leader, Deloitte LLP. “Consumers may be watching fewer television shows and movies on TV, or reading fewer physical copies of books and newspapers, but they have not stopped consuming the content. They are simply watching or reading on different media or platforms.”
Smartphones Challenge Other Devices Americans’ love of smartphones continues to grow. The number of households owning smartphones jumped to 42 percent in 2011 from 25 percent in 2009. Furthermore, the number of consumers interested in purchasing a smartphone in the near future increased to 52 percent in 2011 from 40 percent in 2010. As adoption of smartphones grows, Americans are beginning to use them as “all in one” devices for a number of different tasks. In 2011 the survey found increases in Americans using: text messaging (up to 78 percent in 2011 from 71 percent in 2009), mobile online search (46 percent in 2011 compared to 30 percent in 2009), GPS for directions (37 percent in 2011 versus 22 percent in 2009) and even online banking, which was tracked for the first time in 2011 (19 percent). “Smartphones allow consumers to greatly expand a phone’s functionality by downloading different applications. As the costs for these types of devices, apps and the wireless services that come with them continue to fall, consumers are starting to shift their behavior, taking advantage of connectivity, performance, and portability that rivals and often beats that of a laptop,” said Asmundson. “As 4G rollouts continue and new
smartphone technology is introduced, makers of single purpose devices may need to adopt similar business models if they want to remain competitive.”
DVRs Represent an Opportunity for Cable and Satellite TV Providers The survey also shows Americans value cable TV and satellite TV above most other services, and using a DVR is the second-most preferred means of watching one’s favorite TV show. Yet, only 44 percent of those surveyed have DVR functionality. This represents an opportunity for cable and satellite TV companies to provide this highly valued viewing capability to millions of additional Americans. At the same time, a number of Americans have already cut, or are exploring cutting their pay TV connection entirely. Deloitte’s survey found that 9 percent of people have already cut the cord and 11 percent are considering doing so because they can watch almost all of their favorite shows online. An additional 15 percent of respondents said that they will most likely watch movies, television programs, and videos from online digital sources (via download or streamed over the Internet) in the near future. “Consumers have shown that they value DVR functionality, yet the majority of Americans don’t have a DVR in the home. This represents a potential opportunity for cable and satellite TV providers,” said Asmundson. “In a world where consumers have other ways to access content, the DVR may be an underutilized service that could serve as a value-add for new and existing subscribers at minimal cost to cable and satellite TV companies.”
the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2012 / Page 11
About the Survey Deloitte’s sixth edition State of the Media Democracy survey was architected by Deloitte’s media & entertainment practice and conducted by Harrison Group, an independent research company. The online survey polled more than 2,000 consumers between the ages of 14 and 75 years old in the United States. The survey results have a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points. For more information on Deloitte’s State of the Media Democracy survey, please visit: www.deloitte.com/ us/mediademocracy.
About Deloitte’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications Practice Deloitte’s technology, media & telecommunications practice is comprised of more than 1,400 clients in the
U.S., including the vast majority of market category leaders across all sector segments. Deloitte practitioners, many with direct industry experience, deliver a breadth of services including professional audit, consulting, enterprise risk management, financial advisory and tax. The practice is also home to the Deloitte Center for the Edge, which conducts original research and develops substantive points of view for new corporate growth. The Silicon Valleybased Center helps senior executives make sense of and profit from emerging opportunities on the edge of business and technology. As used in this news release, “Deloitte” means Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Please see www.deloitte.com/ us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.
STATE OF THE MEDIA DEMOCRACY
For more information visit www.deloitte.com/us/mediademocracy.
platform, one thing seems clear: with more ways to access it, While newer devices like smartphones and tablets are changing the media landscape, some older technologies such consumer appetite for media content appears to be rising. as DVR still resonate with consumers. Regardless of device or And that’s good news for everyone.
ACCESSIBILITY DRIVES DEMAND
The percentage of people who said they have viewed a movie available for purchase or download in the last six months has increased since 2007.
63%
2008
70%
2009
78%
2010
79%
2011
81%
DVRs are the second most preferred method for viewing favorite TV shows, but the majority (56 percent) of households don’t have one. Paid TV providers have an opportunity to better position DVRs to customers who might otherwise turn to the internet and non-cable services that transmit through their TVs for time-shifted programming.
SMARTPHONES TURNING INTO ALL-IN-ONE DEVICES EVOLVING TV MIX
As smartphone adoption grows, users are turning to them to accomplish a wider variety of tasks.
We asked people which is their preferred method to view their favorite TV shows. A first: live viewing is under 50 percent. Other Home game console DVD/Blu-ray
46% Searching online 37% GPS
TV show’s website Free online video service “On Demand” feature on home TV DVR on home TV
$
19% Banking
T
78% Texting
Live on home TV
As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. © 2012 Deloitte Development LLP
Page 12 / the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2012
TABLETS FINDING THEIR PLACE Are tablets replacing laptops? The jury’s still out— but current usage patterns point to a future where tablets may end up being additions to the media landscape rather than replacements.
51
%
use the tablet in place of their laptops while at home.
Source: Deloitte LLP survey, “State of the Media Democracy (sixth edition),” (2011).
2007
DVRS = BIG OPPORTUNITIES
Red Cross Month 2012 marked the 70th consecutive year in which March was proclaimed Red Cross Month by the sitting president of the United States. Beginning with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943, helping to support the Red Cross fundraising efforts to respond to needs brought on by World War II, every U.S. president has deemed March as Red Cross Month to remind citizens of the work of the American Red Cross in communities around the country and the globe. The American Red Cross was first established by Clara Barton on May 21, 1881 and officially chartered by Congress in 1905. Over the last 130 years, the American Red Cross has aided victims of countless disasters, helping provide food, money, volunteers and blood donations, among other things. Today, the American Red Cross responds to almost 70,000 disasters a year, and their Blood Services arm distributes more than 40 percent of the United States’ blood supply throughout these global disasters. Additionally, the American Red Cross annually trains more than 9 million U.S. citizens in first aid, water safety and other important life-saving skills. Throughout the month of March, a multitude of blood drives and other events were set up to celebrate the annual occasion. From Washington to Georgia and in between, thousands of local Red Cross centers spread the word about their mission, as well as reminding others that the American Red Cross is not subsidized by the U.S. government, and all income and help is through a volunteered donation basis.
the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2012 / Page 13
”I summon the men, women, and young people of our country, in every city and town and village, in every county and state throughout the land, to enlist in the army of mercy mobilized under the banner of the Red Cross and to contribute generously to the Red Cross War Fund.”
“In order to help meet a growing postwar need, which would be multiplied in the event of a national emergency, this agency has inaugurated a national blood program intended to ensure eventually the availability of lifesaving blood to the entire nation.”
“The services of the Red Cross demonstrate our nation’s tradition of neighbor helping neighbor.”
“On every battlefield, a flag of mercy flies. Its white field bears a Red Cross-the universal symbol of human compassion. Under that flag, there are no enemies, no racial or religious animosities. There are only brothers.”
“Born of war and raised in adversity, the American Red Cross has evolved many traditions in its universal quest to ease human suffering, but none have served it so durably as its tradition of flexibility.”
“With unfailing resourcefulness, zeal, and compassion, Red Cross volunteers have proved equal to the challenges of our time. In peace and in war, they have reflected the humanitarian instincts of the American people.”
“For millions of people in need…the Red Cross is a brilliant point of light - part of that vast galaxy of individuals, businesses, schools, churches, synagogues, and voluntary associations working together to solve problems. For 109 years that star has shone anytime there has been a need, and today it dazzles still.”
“Through the years, the American Red Cross has maintained an outstanding record of voluntary humanitarian services, fulfilling with high dedication and skill the obligations of its congressional charter.” “The long-term strength of our nation depends upon our willingness to live out the ideals long embodied by the American Red Cross. To celebrate our past and to safeguard our future, I am proud to commend the countless individuals whose courage and selflessness have sustained this organization for more than a century.”
“Today, as the Red Cross embarks upon its second century of service, each of us has an opportunity and an obligation to become a part of this humanitarian tradition.”
“I hope all Americans will reflect on the selflessness that has led so many of our neighbors to serve the Red Cross - and their fellow Americans - with their time, their energy, and their love.”
Blood Dates in American Red Cross History Feb. 4, 1941
American Red Cross (ARC) begins National Blood Donor Service to collect blood for the U.S. military with Dr. Charles R. Drew as medical director
Oct. 30, 1967
Board of Governors rece National Headquarters Rare Blood Donor Regis occurring less than once
Jan. 12, 1948
ARC begins its National Blood Program for civilians by opening its first collection center in Rochester, N.Y.
July 22, 1950
ARC becomes the blood collection agency for the U.S. military during the Korean War
Aug. 18, 1945
ARC ends its World War II blood program for the military after collecting more than 13 million pints
May 15, 1940
Early blood processing program for relief of English war victims, called Plasma for Britain, begins under direction of Dr. Charles R. Drew
“By donating their time and energy to selflessly serve others, American Red Cross volunteers demonstrate the compassion and generosity for which Americans are known. Their service paves the way to a brighter future for our citizens and people around the world.”
Page 16 / the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2012
Mar. 1, 1999
Feb. 25, 1977
ARC initiates Nucleic Acid Testing, which provides early detection of HIV and hepatitis C in blood
President Jimmy Carter makes his 51st blood donation in a bloodmobile at the White House
March 1985
eives report that will host a national stry for blood types e in 200 people
Immediately after the FDA licenses the first test to detect the antibody to HIV on March 3, ARC Blood Services regions begin testing all newly donated blood
Jan. 13, 1983
United States blood banking groups issue their first warning about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
Feb. 14, 1972
ARC calls for national blood policy, which the federal government sets up in 1974, supporting standardized practices and an end to paid donations
Aug. 3, 1992
First National Testing Laboratory, applying standardized tests to ensure safety of ARC blood products, opens in Dedham, Mass.
“After more than 130 years of providing humanitarian relief at home and abroad, the American Red Cross remains a reflection of the compassion and generosity central to our national identity. During American Red Cross Month, we pay tribute to all those whose dedication to relieving human suffering illuminates even our darkest hours.” the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2012 / Page 17
Global Giving
How your blood center can create a partnership that saves lives around the world You face your share of challenges as a donor recruitment professional, but imagine what it would be like if you just couldn’t bring in enough blood to meet demand, no matter how hard you tried. And imagine if the blood that was collected often transmitted HIV or other devastating infections to those whose lives it was supposed to save. For those of us in developed countries with sophisticated systems that ensure an ample and safe blood supply collected from voluntary donors, this situation is almost inconceivable. But for blood center workers in developing countries like Kenya and Zimbabwe, it’s the day-to-day reality – a reality where young children and mothers-to-be die for want of blood.
Of the more than a half-million women who die each year – at least one per minute – from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, 99 percent live in developing countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). One of the most common killers? Hemorrhage. Often times there is simply no blood to give them. This is because, on average, only 2.3 people out of every 1,000 in developing countries give blood, compared to 38.1 out of every 1,000 in developed
by Amy Francisco
countries, according to WHO. While the developing world accounts for 80 percent of the planet’s population, it yields only 20 percent of the blood supply – and a good portion of what is collected isn’t even safe to use. In 2007, 41 countries reported to the WHO that they were not able to screen all blood donations for transfusion-transmissible infections. In countries where HIV/AIDS is endemic, this means that millions of units of blood are transfused without even the most basic testing for blood-borne viruses. Another problem is that blood is needed so badly that donors are often paid for it. UNAIDS estimates that more than 80 percent of the blood collected in developing countries comes from paid or replacement donors. Under the replacement system, patients (or their families and friends) must recruit blood donors to restock units they consume. “With 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty, ‘professional’ blood donors proliferate and are found to be waiting outside the doors of many hospitals, only too happy to give blood while posing as a helpful relative or neighbor,” reports the Global Blood Fund (GBF), a nonprofit organization founded in 2008 to help blood centers in developing countries secure safe and reliable blood supplies from voluntary blood donors. “In a world where over 33 million people live with HIV/AIDS, the risk to the patient is obvious.”
The Global Blood Fund’s Work To help solve these issues of supply and safety, GBF was established with a mission of helping blood centers in developing countries mobilize volunteer, unpaid donors. Growing and supporting this source of blood collections is well-established as the most effective, self-sustaining answer to both problems. GBF has sponsored programs that: Identify low-risk groups
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within populations; educate, motivate and recruit from those groups; and provide good care and effective communication to retain those donors. “In wealthier countries, people donate money and time to so many causes,” says John Armitage, M.D., GBF founder and 2005-06 ADRP president. “Throughout the rest of the world, there’s often a more familial or tribal orientation that means one doesn’t necessarily feel obligated to help an anonymous stranger. Building solid, voluntary blood programs is an opportunity to highlight the tremendous social value of helping people you will never meet. By making sure donors have the best possible experience, we are reinforcing the positives to build that behavior.” GBF has also found relevance in directing disaster relief funds to blood centers affected by natural disasters. No other assistance channel exists for sending aid directly to blood programs that are laboring to get back on-line. After the Haitian earthquake in 2010 and the Japanese tsunami in 2011, contributions were sent from U.S. donors to collection agencies in those areas. Sadly, such a resource was not available to help when The Blood Center in New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
a developing country.” In addition to grassroots fundraising, GBF is seeking grants to support its work. It’s currently working on funding to establish an online donor management portal that will allow blood centers in developing countries to move past tracking and managing their donors with merely pen and paper. “You really need technological support when you’re managing thousands or tens of thousands of blood donors across huge territories,” says Evans, who worked for 14 years as the senior executive responsible for blood and organ donor recruitment and management at NHS Blood and Transplant in the U.K. “Our goal is to give them some fairly basic but powerful tools of the trade.”
Getting to the Grassroots What makes GBF different from other organizations concerned with world health issues is that it’s focused on obtaining grassroots support from those who are most likely to care about its cause – blood donors in developed countries. “We’re trying to approach blood donors who are already living their commitment to saving lives through blood donation,” says Armitage, who is also CEO of the Oklahoma Blood Institute. “For example, in the U.S. there are roughly 11 million people a year who offer an actual part of themselves in a deeply personal and significant way. Why can’t we ask them to take on the bigger challenge of helping patients in developing countries?” In June 2012, GBF will launch a never-beforeattempted campaign to do just that, according to Gavin Evans, the 2007-08 ADRP president recently chosen to lead the Fund. The organization plans to ask blood donors to contribute financially through targeted online and offline advertising that presents the GBF mission. As Evans explains, “It is a direct appeal to blood donors, who’ve demonstrated enthusiasm for donating blood within their own settings, to support similar activities in
How Your Local Drive Can Have a Global Impact GBF also welcomes the assistance of blood donor recruitment professionals in the U.S., U.K. and other developed countries. You can help in a number of ways. The simplest is making a donation. GBF’s revamped website, to be launched shortly after the ADRP Conference in mid-May, will facilitate online giving. You can also invite your blood center’s donors, drive coordinators, volunteers and staff to give by adding a GBF link to your center’s own site. Another, more engaging program designed to involve blood doors and sponsors is an Open Arms campaign, through which participating blood centers offer donors the option of substituting their T-shirts, loyalty points or other incentive items in favor of a monetary contribution on their behalf from the blood center to the GBF. The per-donation contribution doesn’t have to be much to make a big impact. “There are approximately 17.5 million blood donations every year in the United States,” Evans says. “If even a
the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2012 / Page 19
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small proportion attracted a dollar or two for the Global Blood Fund, the result would be incredible.” Open Arms can create a very attractive win-win-win situation: Win 1: Donors get an easy way to reinforce their altruism though a second good deed. It may help them identify more strongly as a blood donor when they feel connected to the worldwide family of 80 million people who give each year. Also, the contribution option may even bring back some donors who were turned off by incentives. Win 2: Sponsors and drive coordinators can be energized by this new, easy way to help with a very solvable world problem. GBF can be incorporated into the theme of a drive or tied into existing institutional initiatives for diversity, creative problemsolving, global thinking, etc. A particularly successful approach has been used by the Oklahoma Baptist General Convention, which encourages its churches to use this as a turn-key way to do good works for the less fortunate. Win 3: If a blood center sets the GBF contribution amount below what it would have spent on the incentive, it saves money. The center may see an extra PR boost by showing its global spirit and cooperation. Also, employees typically respond well to helping beyond their customary boundaries, while learning about their profession’s huge reach. Whichever wins are attractive to a blood center, GBF can help them to host such blood drives by providing easy-to-sign-up mechanisms, promotional materials, details on completed and planned projects, and other resources to support the drives. GBF offers an easy opportunity to “be the change you want to see in the world and in blood banking,” as Armitage paraphrases Mahatma Gandhi. “Since we are a community of givers to begin with, this should be a super-sizing of our mission that is a natural for us to embrace. If you make up your mind to make a difference, GBF will make you happy you did.” Learn more about GBF at the ADRP Conference in St. Louis, May 16-18, 2012. Representatives will be available in the organization’s booth and will facilitate a workshop called “Creating a Global Blood Community.” You may also visit the organization’s website at www.globalbloodfund.org or email info@ globalbloodfund.org to ask questions or express your interest in partnering with GBF.
amy@franciscom.com • rebecca@franciscom.com • kirk@franciscom.com
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ADRP e c n e r e f n Co
Meet Us in St. Louis! May 16 -18 Featured Events: • Run for Blood
• Reception with Exhibitors
• Cardinals vs Cubs at Busch Stadium
• ADRP Awards Ceremony • ADRP Members Annual Luncheon
• Tour of St. Louis Cord Blood Bank • Dine Around With Peers • Opening Keynote featuring Bruce Hamilton, MOTIVATED Speaker
• Closing Keynote featuring Dr. Jennifer Arnold, Neonatologist, Star of The Little Couple • Host City Event – Busch Stadium
Register Today @ www.adrp.org the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2012 / Page 21
Court Won’t Reconsider Bone Marrow Payments Ruling A federal appeals court says it won’t reconsider a ruling that allows bone marrow donors to be paid for their donations like blood donors. In December, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a decades-old government practice that made such compensation a crime. The court said a technological breakthrough makes the process of donating bone marrow nearly identical to giving blood plasma. The court declined the Obama administration’s request to reconsider the ruling. The administration now has 90 days to petition the U.S. Supreme Court. The nonprofit patient
advocacy group Institute for Justice called the original ruling a “major national shift in bone marrow donation policy” and said payments will encourage more donations.
Baby Born with ‘No Blood’ Survives, Hailed a Miracle
Developments, reports, research and trends
SPRING BUZZ...
- Associated Press, March 28, 2012
- Claire Bates, Daily Mail, April 2, 2012
Six-month-old Olivia Norton has been hailed a “miracle” by doctors after she was effectively born with no blood. Born with a severe case of anemia, she had such a low hemoglobin count that it could not officially be classed as “blood.” Given less than two hours to live after birth, she survived after having a series of emergency transfusions. Olivia’s mother,
Olivia had haemoglobin levels of 3 gm/dL instead of the average 18 gm/dL.
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Full of life: Olivia Norton was described by doctors as ‘white and floppy’ when she was born.
Louise Bearman, first noticed something was wrong when she didn’t feel Olivia kicking for three days. Doctors ordered an emergency caesarean when nurses failed to spot any movement. Olivia was born six weeks early, with hemoglobin levels of just 3gm/dl, compared to the average for a baby, 18gm/dl. “I want moms to realize how important a baby’s movement is in checking they are healthy. You have to trust your maternal instinct,” said Bearman. “The hospital staff said…if I hadn’t come in she would not have survived.”
CaridianBCT and Terumo Transfusion Become Terumo BCT - Business Wire, April 2, 2012
CaridianBCT and Terumo Transfusion have become Terumo BCT. Terumo BCT is one of the largest, U.S.-based medical device companies focused on blood banking, transfusion medicine and cellular therapies. It now has 2,500 associates and customers in more than 120 countries and territories, with regional
headquarters in Brussels, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Terumo BCT serves three primary customer segments: Blood Centers, Hospitals & Therapeutic Apheresis Centers and Biotech & Cell Processing. “By listening to our customers
Cerus Announces New Supply Agreement with Largest Blood Service in Saudi Arabia - BusinessWire, April 3, 2012
Cerus Corporation announced today that its exclusive distributor for Saudi Arabia, Al Shalan, has signed a three-year agreement with the King Faisal Specialist Hospital, a leading medical center in Saudi Arabia, to supply
the INTERCEPT Blood System for platelets. This contract allows for the routine use of INTERCEPT to treat up to 100 percent of the hospital’s platelet production of approximately 5,600 units annually. King Faisal Specialist Hospital is one of the top three reference medical centers serving the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Saudi Arabia has an estimated national production of approximately 70,000 platelet units and 100,000 plasma units per year.
and collaborating closely with them, we have the opportunity to unlock the potential of blood to make even safer, higher-quality
transfusions available to more people around the world,” said David Perez, Terumo BCT president and CEO.
Blood Drives Honor Anniversary of Death of Charles Drew A number of blood drives and other events were held around the world earlier this month to honor the 62nd anniversary of the passing of Dr. Charles Drew, a pioneer in modern bloodworking techniques. Drew died April 1, 1950 from injuries sustained in a car accident on the way to an annual medical clinic held in Tuskegee, Ala. He is remembered for his research in the field of blood transfusions, improvement of blood storage, and his efforts to develop large-scale blood banks during World War II. Service organizations
Photo of Charles Drew
and blood centers from as far as Israel have hosted events to mark the occasion.
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Good things happen when donors are convinced their blood donations really are saving lives.
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