NEWS & NOTES

Update:  Pooled Frozen Cryoprecipitated AHF
Bonfils Blood Center is pleased to announce that pooled frozen cryoprecipitated AHF will be available to our healthcare partners beginning April 30. This product is pre-pooled before freezing which eliminates the time consuming manual pooling process performed by hospital blood bank personnel. As a result, our clients will be able to transfuse these units more quickly in emergent situations.

The pooled frozen cryoprecipitated AHF product is equivalent to five individual cryoprecipitate units, with the same frozen storage requirements and outdate. After thawing, the pooled product outdates in six hours and should be kept at room temperature until transfusion.
 
Individual cryoprecipitate units will still be available, so when ordering please specify single or pooled unit. Should you require additional information please contact Jonathan Bautista at 303.363.3994 or Bill Plachetzki  at 303.361.3105.

National Hospital & Healthcare Week
The nation's first hospital opened its doors to patients in on May 11, 1751 with the help of Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond. The Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia was the first of its kind. Today, nearly 6,000 hospitals work to save lives throughout the country, according to the American Hospital Association.
  
For nearly 90 years, National Hospital and Healthcare Week, recognized each year May 6 - 12, honors those who work in healthcare facilities and hospitals for their commitment, enthusiasm and dedication to help others in the community. Bonfils Blood Center salutes all of our healthcare partners for their contributions to saving and enhancing lives in our community. 

Thomas C. Puckett Named President and CEO of Bonfils Blood Center
Several months ago, members of Bonfils Blood Center's board of trustees initiated a national search to identify a professional to lead Bonfils Blood Center, Colorado's community blood center. Last January, the blood center's board of trustees named Thomas C. Puckett president and CEO effective immediately. His knowledge of and history with Bonfils played a key role in the board's decision. Puckett, who according to the board of trustees was the right person to fill this important role, had led the blood center as president and CEO in an interim basis since March 2006.

Driving for Donors
Bonfils and its Colorado Marrow Donor Program (CMDP) will support Driving for Donors by hosting a marrow donor recruitment event at downtown Denver's Skyline Park located between 15th and 16th Streets at Arapahoe on Monday, June 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Driving for Donors is a nationwide initiative organized by eleven-year-old leukemia patient Patrick (Pat) Pedraja. Pat and his family will stop in 28 U.S. cities including Miami, San Diego and Seattle in hopes of adding 2,007 new donors to the National Marrow Donor Registry. We hope you'll encourage your colleagues to attend this important event. Visit www.drivingfordonors.com for more information. For more information about Bonfils' CMDP please call 303.363.2345 or visit www.bonfils.org.

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