Saint Alphonsus staffers respond to lack of blood drives

With blood supplies critically low because of the COVID-19 pandemic, one Saint Alphonsus surgeon is filling the need with a creative solution.

Britani Hill, a trauma surgeon at Saint Alphonsus, organized two in-house blood drives on March 24 and March 26 at Saint Alphonsus in Boise and Nampa.

“This has been absolutely amazing,” she said. “I started out advocating on social media to my friend circle, and it’s expanded to floor units in the hospital competing over who can donate the most blood. These are the people on the front lines, preparing in the calm before the storm to take care of the community.”

The American Red Cross reports that due to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, public blood drives have been canceled and people are no longer donating in person at the Red Cross. Donations of blood by the public are essential to restock the nation’s blood banks.

Hill says that in Idaho, more than 80 blood drives have been canceled, resulting in the loss of more than 2,200 units of blood products that would have been collected during those efforts. She said it is safe to donate blood, even with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and donating does not diminish a person’s immune system.

“While we still have blood available in the hospital and blood banks, we will be facing a critical shortage in the future,” Hill said.

Noreen Bevington, a registered nurse in the Saint Alphonsus neonatal intensive care unit, donated blood.

“It’s very critical because people can’t get out in the community to donate. It’s fast and easy to donate, and I feel like I’m contributing and helping out, keeping our blood supplies up.”

George Munayirji is a trauma surgeon at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center and a regular blood donor. He said he answered the call because “this is the least you can do for the community, especially under the circumstances.”