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BLOOD DONOR PROGRAM

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BLOOD DONOR PROGRAM
Revised by the P&P Committee January 2010

General Statement:
The Blood Donor Program is administered by a Chairman and a Co-chairman according to established policies and procedures. The AWCP has maintained a Blood Donor List since its inception in 1979. The Program represents the AWCP, its interests, and relates to the Community Bloodline coordinated by the American Association of the Philippines (AAP) and with other expatriate groups holding similar blood donor lists.

Policy:
1. The AWCP will maintain and administer a confidential Blood Donor List of AWCP members and their spouses as volunteers primarily for the benefit of the AWCP membership, their immediate families and extended family members.
2. Donating blood is voluntary and the decision to give blood lies with the donor.
3. Whenever possible, the Blood Donor List Chairman/Co-chairman will have a background in medicine.
4. The AWCP Blood Donor List is confidential and no information from it may be divulged outside the parameters of the policy.
5. When making emergency calls requesting a blood donation, the committee will try to maintain a reserve of at least one available donor in all blood types.
6. The Chairman/Co-Chairman will receive all requests for blood donors through the direct membership, the AWCP office, the American Association of the Philippines (AAP) or any other organizations within the Community Bloodline network.
7. Requests for a blood donation needed by non-members may be referred to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), the National Kidney Institute (NKI), the AAP and other organizations as deemed appropriate.
8. Non-member requests for blood may be considered in life-threatening circumstances, as determined by established guidelines. The objective is to take care of our expatriate community in cases of emergency blood donation needs. However, as the AWCP Committee Chairperson is the facilitator of the request for blood donation, she can, (in consultation with other committee members, or with the AWCP President or Ex-Officio,) waive this limitation in emergency and/or strictly life threatening situations.
9. The AWCP does not assume any costs for the testing or transporting of donated blood.

Duties:
The Chairman and Co-chairman share the responsibilities of this Committee. These duties include:

1. Assisting the AWCP Office Manager in creating and updating the Blood Donor List;
2. Administering the activities of the Blood Donor Program according to established policies and procedures;
3. Appointing one or more replacements to hold the Blood Donors List in the absence of the Chairman and Co-chairman to carry out its responsibilities;
4. Seeking to expand the membership donor list;
5. Maintaining an updated list of other agencies, hospitals and women’s groups that may be used to give assistance;
6. Keeping abreast of issues related to local blood bank policies, blood screening, blood supply, and the experiences of donors;
7. Advising the Board of the monthly activities of the Committee;
8. Preparing a budget of projected expenses for the year;
9. Preparing and submitting a Year End Report.

Procedures:
1. Assisting the AWCP Office Manager in creating and updating the Blood Donor List:
The AWCP will maintain and administer a confidential Blood Donor List of AWCP members and their spouses as volunteers primarily for the benefit of AWCP members, their families and extended families.
The Blood Donor List is a record of AWCP members and their spouses who are willing to donate blood. The list is classified according to blood type and group. The Office Manager, with the assistance of the Blood Donor Committee, is responsible for creating and updating the list from the membership database in the following manner:
• Verifying names and blood types in the database of all members and spouses who wish to be donors. Certain medical conditions preclude persons from being blood donors. If a member is not able to be a donor, she should advise the Chairman.
• Updating the list monthly with members’ names/types of those tested at the General Meetings. In the RH (-) category, try to confirm if the member has RH (-) family members here and note any newly expectant mothers.
• Distributing a printout to committee members regularly, usually after the peak months of October and January and in May (for anyone who may assume the duties during the absence of the Chairman and Co-chairman).
• As appropriately necessary, the list may be personally distributed to AWCP members listed as type RH(-) only for their personal files in the case of their personal need for a blood transfusion and they are unable to reach the Donor List Chairman. The confidentiality of the member phone list is a great concern.

2. Administering the activities of the Blood Donor Program according to established policies and procedures:
The Chairman and Co-chairman or Committee members will receive requests for blood either through the general membership, the AWCP office, the AAP or the community at large. Procedures to be followed upon such a request are:
• Verify and note the request before actively phoning any member to request a blood donation. The following information should be obtained:
A. Name of person requesting a blood donor and their relationship to the patient
B. Name of the patient and whether a member, spouse or family member of the AWCP
C. Blood type and group and the number of units needed
D. Name of the hospital where the patient is confined
E. Diagnosis
F. Name of attending physician, his office telephone number (if possible). If the person does not know this information, request that he or she find out the name and telephone number and give a return a call to the Chairman immediately.
• The Chairman/Co-Chairman must be able to contact the attending physician, physician’s office and/or hospital blood bank to verify the status of the patient (i.e. critical injury vs. standby for elective surgery).
• If the request is from/for an AWCP member or family member, activate the phone calling from the list immediately. It is a good idea to discuss the situation with the Co-chairman or other Committee members to ensure preparedness.
• Confirmation of the diagnosis and the required need from the attending physician is required; however, in the case of requests from/for AWCP members, confirmation from the physician may still be pending at the time of activation in case of the physician’s unavailability. Time is of the essence in emergency situations.
• If the request is from/for a non-member, refer the caller to the following organizations or offer assistance through phone numbers of offices, embassies and other women’s organizations related to the patient.
1. Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC)
National Registry of Rh Negative and Other Rare Blood Types
Tel: 02-521-3929
Mobile phone: 0918-9186531
Or visit our office at:
2nd Floor, PNRC building, Bonifacio Drive,
Port Area, Manila

2. National Kidney Institute (NKI)
Blood Donor Recruitment Section
National Kidney and Transplant Institute
East Avenue, Quezon City 1100
Tel: 02-924-3601 local 1052

3. Philippine Heart Center
Blood Bank & Transfusion Service
Third Floor-Medical Arts Building / Local 3321 to 3325
East Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines 1100
Tels.: (632) 925-2401 to 50, connecting all Departments

• If the request is from the AAP, or other women’s organization (ANZA, BWA) discuss the situation thoroughly with the caller and consult with others on the Committee. Be sure the caller has spoken with the attending physician. A follow-up call from the physician may be requested if you are not satisfied with the information supplied. Duplication of requests is to be avoided, but it may take people working together to find the number of blood donors necessary.
• The following list may serve as a guide in consideration of “life-threatening” situations. Emergency requests from outside of the AWCP that may prompt the Chairman to activate the list if confirmed by the physician must be patients under treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the Emergency Room (ER) or the Operating Room (OR) and/or with:
A. Traumatic injuries: including ruptured spleen, lacerated liver, chest wounds, multiple fractures, major blood vessel involvement
B. Impending heart attack (MI) while awaiting cardiac bypass surgery (CABG)
C. Acute gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding with patient confined to the ICU, ER or OR.
D. Hemophilia
E. Obstetrical emergency
F. Neonatal emergency
G. Dissecting aortic aneurysm

If the Blood Donor List holder feels that a request, which is not within these guidelines, is legitimate and urgent, she may choose to activate the list.

A patient whose condition is chronic or terminal may require serious consideration and consultation with the attending physician before donors are contacted. From outside of the AWCP, requests for “replacement blood” or “stand-by blood” are not generally considered life threatening.

If a request does not meet established criteria, relay this information politely through the physician.

* If several requests are received for the same patient, advise the caller(s) that you are already in contact with, or awaiting a call from the physician which is the established procedure for activating the List.
* Phone the hospital blood bank where the patient is confined to confirm that the need for donors still exists and ask if other donors are expected. If the request is not from Makati Medical Center, ask if arrangements can be made by the confining hospital’s blood bank and the patient’s family to transport the blood so that a donor may be bled at Makati Med or a hospital more convenient to her/his home or office.
* The family is to assume the costs of blood transport.

When calling for donors, consider who was recently phoned, those who have RH (-) dependent children and spouses who are willing to donate. Take notes during the calling. Remember that the donor will feel a bit uneasy when you request an “emergency” need.
* Make sure to identify yourself, your AWCP role and explain your purpose. Confirm the donor’s type as listed and ask if she/he would be willing and able to donate. Remember, this is voluntary, and that certain conditions preclude donation: fever, hepatitis, malaria medication, antibiotics, recent influenza/infections, and some routine medications. Please ask these questions of the donor. A donor may be unable now but willing in the future. Take notes.
* Tell the donor the name of the patient, the physician and the hospital where the patient is confined. Ask if she/he is willing to donate there and if she/he has donated there before. Advise her/him that other arrangements can be made if necessary. Tell the donor to identify herself/himself at the blood bank lab as the AWCP donor for the particular patient and the name of the attending physician. Inform the donor that the blood bank will ask questions to screen for recent illnesses: fever, malaria, etc., and will also type and screen their blood for HIV testing. Advise the donor that the screening process could take 2-3 hours. If the donor has a fax, offer to send the recent Inklings’ article “Donating Blood” by Sharon Donson. Advise the donor to take something small to eat now, and take along juice and crackers and to allow a time for a brief rest at the blood bank lab after donating. It is helpful for the donor to have a driver. If the donor is willing but has no driver, it may be necessary for the List holder to phone someone else on the List who could be a driver or lend a driver.
* Phone the blood bank and inform them to expect a donor from the AWCP for the patient.
* DO NOT GIVE THE DONOR’S NAME to the blood bank, the attending physician or the patient’s family. If the patient is an AWCP member, you may use your judgment on this.
* Ask the donor to report back to you afterward to confirm the donation, and to relay any problems which may have occurred.
* Record all of the particulars concerning the request, date, patient, physician, diagnosis, donation, including the donor(s) contacted regardless if they gave blood, confirmation and any other pertinent information.
* Be sure to send a “thank you” note, even if the donor was rejected. Many times this is the only acknowledgement a donor will receive for their offer to assist.

3. Appointing one or more replacements to hold the Blood Donor List in the absence of the Chairman and Co-chairman and carry out its responsibilities:
The Chairman will schedule coverage of responsibility with her Co-chairman or Committee members as necessary, particularly when out of town. If no one is available, the responsibility reverts back to the AWCP Board. In this case the Chairman should notify the AWCP President and the Office Manager of the expected absences. In the event that no Blood Donor Committee person is available to make emergency phone calls, the task can be assigned to any Board member at the discretion of the President or Ex-Officio.

Place “reminder” in the May Inklings of the needs for coverage during June-July-August absences.

4. Seeking to expand the membership donor list:
One of the ways to expand the donor list is to offer blood type testing at the General Meetings.
• The Chairman and Co-chairman share the responsibility of type testing at the meetings though substitutes may be appointed.
• The testing table should be situated near the Membership and Inklings tables in order to catch the attention of newcomers.
• Hygienic procedures should be followed. Replace supplies when necessary. Most supplies are available at Mercury Drug.
Reagents have in the past been donated by the Makati Medical Blood Bank and Asian Hospital, therefore continuing good relationships are necessary. The Blood Donor Committee generally sends Christmas cards to the Director of Blood Bank at the Asian Hospital and Makati Medical.
• Supplies include: reagents, glass slides, cotton swabs, disposable gloves, alcohol, band-Aids, lancets or a similar tool for pricking fingers and toothpicks or sticks, etc.
• Give each member tested a small card with blood type noted.
• After each meeting, add the newly typed members to the database at the AWCP office via the Office Manager.
Supplying an insert for the Newcomer’s packet is also helpful in alerting newcomers to the problems of donating blood. Attending Newcomer Coffees whenever possible will help to increase awareness about the lack of RH (-) blood in Asia. At least two (2) articles should be contributed to Inklings during the year relating the activities of the Committee or needs of the AWCP community for blood donors.

5. Maintaining an updated list of other agencies, hospitals and women’s organizations
The Chairman and Co-chairman will continually update the list of other agencies, hospitals and other women’s organizations that may be used to give assistance to someone in need of a blood donor from the community at large through additional networks as deemed appropriate.

6. Keeping abreast of issues related to local blood bank policies, blood screening, blood supply and the experiences of donors
The Blood Chairman represents the interests of the AWCP and its members at any appropriate meetings with representatives of other expatriate organizations that administer blood donor lists. If necessary, she may attend meetings with the PNRC, the Department of Health, other government agencies or physicians. In this way, the latest information may be obtained on all issues relating to donating blood.

7. Advising the Board of the monthly activities of the Committee
The Chairman will advise the Board of the activities of the Committee through regular reports at Board meetings.

8. Preparing and submitting a Year-end Report on the activities of the Committee
The Chairman will prepare a Year-end Report of the activities of the Committee during the year and supply copies to the President, the Historian and her successor.

9. Preparing a budget of projected expenses for the year:
The Chairman and Co-chairman will meet with the President and Treasurers to plan a budget of expected expenditures for the year. (See suggested budget item listing.)