GBMC Healthcare hosts first employee-only blood drive

Daily Record Staff//July 2, 2020//

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Steven Schmitt, a clinical research associate at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, gives blood to help the cause. (Photo courtesy of GBMC)

GBMC nurse Asha Pant, BSN, RN, FNE takes part in GBMC Healthcare's first employee blood drive. (Photo courtesy of GBMC) — GBMC nurse Asha Pant, BSN, RN, FNE takes part in GBMC Healthcare‘s first employee blood drive. (Photo courtesy of GBMC)

Kathleen Schoolfield, a human resources program and project manager at GBMC, takes some time to donate blood at the hospital center's Fitness and Wellness Center. (Photo courtesy of GBMC) — Kathleen Schoolfield, a human resources program and project manager at GBMC, takes some time to donate blood at the hospital center’s Fitness and Wellness Center. (Photo courtesy of GBMC)

Nicole Stuckey, application coordinator with Epic, donates blood at GBMC's blood drive. (Photo courtesy of GBMC) — Nicole Stuckey, application coordinator with Epic, donates blood at GBMC’s blood drive. (Photo courtesy of GBMC)

GBMC followed the highest standard of safety and infection control for its blood drive in its Fitness and Wellness Center. To ensure the health of employees and volunteers, all donors and staff were required to wear masks, were subject to temperature checks and underwent routine screening questions. (Photo courtesy of GBMC)

A nurse gets some vials ready for GBMC HealthCare System's recent blood drive. The event drew more than 60 employees to help the American Red Cross fill the need for blood donations after thousands of blood drives were cancelled nationally because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo courtesy of GBMC) — A nurse gets some vials ready for GBMC HealthCare System’s recent blood drive. The event drew more than 60 employees to help the American Red Cross fill the need for blood donations after thousands of blood drives were cancelled nationally because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo courtesy of GBMC)

GBMC HealthCare System recently held its first employee-only blood drive of 2020 at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) Fitness and Wellness Center as more than 60 volunteers came out to give blood and help.

Currently, blood banks in Maryland and across the nation are running extremely low on blood donations, due in part to the COVID-19 crisis. The impact of pandemic-associated blood drive cancellations has worsened the already dire nationwide shortage.

According to the American Red Cross, approximately 19,000 blood drives, equating to 540,000 units of blood, were canceled across the country this year.

In order to safely host this drive, GBMC followed the highest standard of safety and infection control. To ensure the health of employees and volunteers, all donors and staff were required to wear masks, were subject to temperature checks, and underwent routine screening questions. Additional precautions included providing hand sanitizer for use before and during the drive, following social distancing guidelines, routinely disinfecting all materials, wearing gloves, and using sterile collection sets and an aseptic scrub for each donation.

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