Today’s Students are Tomorrow’s Lifesavers

I often use the word “community” in our advertisements, in the scripts that our recruiters use when calling on potential donors, and with our blood drive coordinators.  Sometimes when a word is heard regularly it can lose its value.  I wanted to take this opportunity to reinstate what “community” means to Miller-Keystone Blood Center.

The MKBC Community is made up of 10 counties and 21 hospitals.  Even more, it is made up of thousands of local hospital patients, who rely on those of us who are healthy to donate blood.  When I drive into work and hear on 99.9 The Hawk or WEEU about an accident on Rt 22 or I-78, I immediately wonder how bad the accident is and if those involved will need blood.  The Blood Center will then receive a call from St. Luke’s Hospital, St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Lehigh Valley Health Network – stating that they need a rare blood type or four times their normal order of platelets for the day to treat the accident victims.  This push for additional blood products is above and beyond the hospital’s normal orders for scheduled, elective surgeries.  In some cases we are even more connected to the accident.  In the past it has been one of our own employees driving to work… one of our neighbors…. a local high school student.

I have a vested interest in this community.  I went to high school and college here, I had both my children at St. Luke’s Hospital, and I am proud to work for an organization that has created a family of employees who help to save the lives of those living right here in our community.

As our population ages it places an increased demand on the need for blood, and this demand is already exceeding the number of active blood donors within our community. Without the support of our community’s high schools and colleges, we would not be able to meet the demands of our local hospitals, and we may not have the opportunity to create a life-long donor.  Today's high school and college students are tomorrow's lifesavers, and we must engage them now to become regular blood donors, instilling in them the foundation for a lifestyle of community giving. 

Catherine Palumbo, Director of Donor Recruitment and Marketing

Catherine Palumbo holds a Bachelors Degree in Marketing/Management from DeSales University.  She has over 15 years of sales and marketing experience, and has served as Miller-Keystone Blood Center’s Director of Donor Recruitment and Marketing since 2008.