2011 summer drop

Social Media Spurs Donor-to-Donor RecruitmentMarketing Dollars Can’t Buy

Inside this Issue:German Red Cross Creates its own Blood Donor Networking SitePage 8

Boozy Red Cross Tweet Turns Into Marketing Bonanza for Dogfi sh BreweryPage 9

African Migrants Fear Donor Discrimination3

ADRP Board & Committees Make Progress on Strategic PlanPages 14-15

Summer BuzzPages 17-18

ADRP Elects David Graham as New PresidentPage 19-21

Conference Wrap-UpPages 22-23

Award WinnersPages 24-26

Winning Scholarship EssaysPages 29-31

Summer 2011

ADRP’s MISSION:

To provide education, development and resources for the donor recruitment professional.

the Social Media issue

Blood centers that use social media are seeing feedback like this every day from donors. This comment, from the American Red Cross Blood Donors Facebook page, is just one of many donors who share their experience, announce their intent to give in the next few days, or just encourage others to give. If you’re a blood center, you can’t get much better advertising than that. The best part? It’s free. >> continues, page 3

by Amy Francisco

ADRP’s VISION:We are the worldwide industry leader in the fi eld of donor recruitment with an ongoing commitment to shaping international policies and standards and to develop marketing strategies and specialized resources for the donor recruitment profession.

EXECUTIVE BOARDPresident David GrahamVice President, Donor & Hospital ServicesCommunity Blood [email protected] Immediate Past President Kelly HighDirector, CRM Business TransformationAmerican Red Cross National [email protected] President-Elect Carol Mitchell Canadian Blood Services Corporate Manager, Donor [email protected] Treasurer Charles MooreDirector, Recruitment Call CentersAmerican Red Cross Southeast [email protected] Vice President Moira CarterNational Donor Services ManagerScottish National Blood Transfusion [email protected] Vice President Darrin GreenleeAmerican Red CrossCEO Arizona Blood Services [email protected] Secretary Amy HutchDirector, Donor RecruitmentUnited Blood Services, Las [email protected] Executive Director Deb [email protected]: 512.658.9414

The global breakdown of users on Facebook by gender and age.

So it’s really no surprise that centers around the world are using social media as part of their overall marketing and public relations strategies. The American Red Cross Blood Donors Page has an extensive social media program, as do some independent centers such as the Puget Sound Blood Center, which serves western Washington state. Other role models in this arena are the New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) and both the Irish and Scottish National Blood Transfusion Services (SNBTS). SNBTS launched its Facebook page,

“Give Blood for Scotland” in June 2010, and attracts about 800 followers each month. Posts by SNBTS are typically seen by 12,000 people, according to the data Facebook provides SNBTS. The American Red Cross Blood Donors social media efforts have been well-received. Its blood donors Facebook page has more than 59,000 people who’ve “liked” it, or subscribe to updates in their Facebook feed.

Each regional organization has their own Twitter handle, many with followers in the hundreds. So if you build your page or create your Twitter account, the blood donors will come. The popularity of social media assures that. But then what? How can blood centers best use the power of social media?

Start with a StrategyWhile a good social media strategy stresses fl exibility, structure and planning are key, just as with any communications initiative.

“We create a Twitter calendar and map out a schedule for tweets about upcoming initiatives, planning a month or two in advance,” says April Phillips, program manager for communications with the American Red Cross Southern Blood Services Region and program manager for social media and digital engagement for the Southeast Division. “HootSuite [a social media management tool] allows us to preload messages and >>

Source: insidefacebook.com

>> continued from page 3

2011 Survey by CheckFacebook.com

Source: onlineschools.org

/ the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2011Page 4 / the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2011

schedule them to be sent at certain dates and times. This allows our focus to be on managing the conversation, commenting on threads and trying to grow our networks,” she says. Other important front-end work is dedicating staff to manage your social media presence. According to New Zealand Blood Service Marketing Services Manager Asuka Burge, who presented “The Highs and Lows of Social Media” at the ADRP Conference this May, choosing staff who are within the key demographic age group targeted by the blood center is key. “Social Media – A Facebook Case Study,” Burge wrote about the importance of having “a relevant ‘voice’ administering the page, any conversations with fans have been tailored to the audience and are conducted with a basic structure to keep the page alive, current, and transparent.”

Mix it UpWhen planning your messages, think variety. Don’t just repeatedly hit your fans and followers with the same message about upcoming blood drives, because they will grow tired of it and tune out, Phillips says. “If all you’re doing is telling me about local blood drives and not helping me clear up any of my fears, giving me tips on how to have a better experience giving blood, or showing me my neighbor who’s donated since 1970, I’m going to get bored very easily,” she says. “Social media is an ‘all about me’ thing; you get to talk about yourself all day long. People want to hear about things that are going to help them. So provide a mix of content – compelling content that gets them to share.” The American Red Cross keeps

it interesting with short videos that feature lifelong donors who share why they give blood and those that demonstrate the blood donation process. The Puget Sound Blood Center posts thank-yous to donors who’ve hit donation milestones and publishes links to articles of interest to blood donors. “Give blood for Scotland” shares photos of blood drives to recognize and thank those who attended and provides downloadable graphics that donors can use for their profi le photos or on their own blogs or websites. Centers that use Twitter can mix up their usual fl ow of tweets

by mobilizing blood donors. Puget Sound Blood Center began holding

“Tweetups” in June 2009. At blood drives donors are asked to tweet, make Facebook posts, take photos

and video for Flickr and YouTube, and share the event with their friends as they give blood and munch on cookies.

Don’t Do All the TalkingTweetups or “bleedups,” as the American Red Cross calls them, get donors communicating with each other, and that’s the key to success in social media. Among over 200 messages posted each day on the SNBTS’s Facebook page are queries from potential donors about where to give blood, questions from fi rst-timers about what to expect, and yes, even a few complaints. It’s all part of a dialogue that is essential to a social media presence that keeps people engaged. The NZBS gave engagement a jump start with posts meant to start conversations, asking, for example,

“What’s your favorite post-donation cookie?” According to Burge, in the initial stages of the >>

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page, these updates were sent out weekly, but now with the high engagement of fans, the updates only need to be sent out every two weeks or when circumstances require them. Once a stable base of fans was created and conversations began, more fans began to write messages, prompting responses from other fans and from NZBS. The valuable outcome of this type of conversation is that it provides NZBS an opportunity to educate those fans, especially in regard to areas such as donor eligibility criteria.” An example of such a post is this one from the American Red Cross Blood Donors Facebook page:

“Why do you guys discriminate the LGBT community? My blood is clean, but because I have had sex with another man years ago, I’m unable to give my blood to those in need. I used to donate … Now, every time I drive by one of your buildings or see a bus, I get so angry! There is nothing wrong with my blood, test it. Test it every 6 months if you want. Just let me donate.” Phillips says that posts like this are actually a perfect opportunity for blood centers to address their entire network

of donors by responding to one person’s concern. But in many cases, other donors “come to the rescue before we have a chance to comment,” she says. “Our fans will come in, link to

the FDA regulations [that the poster may think is Red Cross policy] or articles from a year ago that explain the regulation.” Even though some posts are negative, Phillips says it’s good to see them. “If it weren’t being brought to our attention on social media, they’d be talking about it to their friends and no one would be addressing their concerns. So it’s helpful on the customer service side.”

In some cases, however, blood centers need to intervene or even remove posts that don’t provide teaching moments or provide constructive criticism. “We only jump in if comments begin to attack an individual, religious group or someone from a certain creed or ethnicity,” Phillips says. “If the post is an attack, we remove it. If it’s malicious, meaning it’s intended to cause harm, we remove it. We don’t remove complaints, and for the most part, we won’t remove foul language, unless it’s used maliciously,” she explains. “People are entitled to their opinions. We must address those just as we address the great comments.” >>

There is nothing wrong with my blood, test it. Test it every 6 months if you want. Just let me donate.

Reprinted from the Blog Heraldcom

/ the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2011Page 6 / the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2011

Know What’s Coming UpPhillips predicts that Facebook and Twitter will continue to be the two biggest social media platforms for blood centers in the near future. But she says geolocation tools such as Foursquare and Facebook Places are growing in popularity and are a good way for blood centers to promote blood drives. These tools allow users to “check in” at locations so their friends know where they are at any given time. When centers encourage blood donors to check in at their drives, donors’ friends see what they’re doing and could be persuaded to join them or donate blood at another time. This direct donor-to-donor advocacy is at the heart of what makes social media an extremely powerful tool for blood centers. It’s grassroots recruitment at its best.

Quick Links:“Like” us on Facebook or follow our tweets:

Association of Donor Recruitment Professionals

Facebook: www.facebook.com/adrpTwitter: @adrpnews

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German Red Cross Creates its Own Blood Donor Networking Site

Even with 500 million users who spend more than 70 billion (yes, billion) minutes per month on the site, Facebook isn't the answer for all blood centers that want to engage with blood donors in the direct and personal world of social media. While Facebook and MeinVZ, the second biggest social media site in Germany, are ways the German Red Cross interacts with donors, it has its own innovative and well-integrated new media program to reach blood donors, or “blutspenders.”

At the core of this program is a website aptly named blutspender.net, which the German Red Cross launched in June 2009. “Our concept was to build a social network community for blood donors in Germany to be independent from other social networks,” explains Andreas Telgmann, managing director of deltacity.NET, a marketing company that contracted with the German Red Cross on the project.

In addition to concerns about donor privacy, “We did not want to have 'fans' on the Web; we wanted to have fully registered blood donors in our community [as members] so we could communicate with them and give them information they need concerning their appointments and blood donations.”

The site has turned out to be a powerful instrument for donor relationship management. Blood donors register to use the site and create user profiles. Once logged in, each “blutspender” sees a personalized homepage with news, a link to sign up to receive text messages about blood donation appointments, a section listing other blood donors in the region, notifications of who has visited their profile, and a listing of blood donation opportunities in the user's area as well as upcoming blood donation appointments of blutspender.net friends.

Not yet two years old, the site is used by 40,000 blood donors in Germany. The average age of blutspender.net users is 39; these are loyal blood donors who donate blood two or more times per year. Because this group of dedicated blood donors “are a big social network in real life,” according to Telgmann, the site offers them tools they can use to interact with each other.

“Blood donors like the email and SMS services [texting] the site offers, and they are using the groups to talk with other blood donors,” Telgmann says. Blutspender.net users can collect

contacts, join groups, post photos and send messages through the site. There is also an accompanying iPhone app that allows “blutspenders” to take the site's functionality with them wherever they go. Just two weeks after it was released, it was the most-downloaded app in Germany with 4,000 new users installing it each month. Blood donors use the app's GPS-based information system to find blood drives in their area or to watch videos about blood preparation. While blutspender.net was designed to be extremely user-friendly, it provides benefits for the German Red Cross as an organization as well. Site administrators can view detailed

information about its users' demographics and blood donation habits. There's also the benefit of constant contact. “Once they register, [the site makes it easier for us] to not lose contact with the blood donors,” Telgmann explains. “When they move, they can change their addresses in blutspender.net and the blood donor service gets an email with the new address.” With an email address on file for each blood donor, the Red Cross saves on mailing costs and has the ability to quickly send emergency messages that have the potential to save many, many lives.

Andreas Telgmann spoke at the May 2011 ADRP Conference in Minneapolis on, “Building a Social Network without Facebook.”

/ the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2011

Boozy Red Cross Tweet Turns into Marketing Bonanza for Dogfi sh BreweryReprinted from CNN Money

When Gloria Huang accidentally blasted off a tweet from the Twitter account of her employer -- the Red Cross -- she had no idea her call for beer would turn into a blood donation drive and give a small craft brewery a boost. In a HootSuite mishap, Huang tweeted: “Ryan found two more 4 bottle packs of Dogfi sh Head’s Midas Touch beer...when we drink we do it right #gettngslizzerd.” It was meant to be tweeted from her personal account, but instead went out to all 270,000 followers of @RedCross. Misfi red and ill-considered tweets can spark painful backlashes -- just ask Kenneth Cole -- but the Red Cross took Huang’s error in stride. It responded in jest, tweeting: “We’ve deleted the rogue tweet but rest assured the Red Cross is sober and we’ve confi scated the keys.” And that’s where the story took a twist. Impressed by the Red Cross’ calm and humane response, other tweeters -- especially @dogfi shbeer’s fans -- launched a fundraising and blood donation drive. Its hashtag: #gettngslizzerd. Mariah Calagione, Dogfi sh’s vice president of marketing, handles social media for the Milton, Deleware-based brewery. She discovered the mistweet during her daily tweet check -- and immediately re-tweeted it and joined the online conversation. Social media has played a major role in getting the local brewery’s name out there, she says: “We have a lot going on and

the Internet lets us talk with our customers on a daily basis.” The company has nearly 40,000 followers on Twitter and 149,000 Facebook fans. That community turned the Red Cross mistweet into a rallying cause. Breweries and pubs in many of the 30 states that distribute Dogfi sh beer launched beer-for-blood offers. A typical one, from the Flying Saucer bar in Austin: “Show us you donated a pint @redcross today & we’ll buy you a pint of @dogfi shbeer #gettngslizzerd.” It’s a nice boost for the Red Cross — and an unexpected marketing bonanza for Dogfi sh. With a staff of 150, the company doesn’t have the budget to do much advertising and relies on word-of-mouth endorsements, Calagione says. “Now we get to talk to a bigger pool of people online,” she says. The Red Cross is also delighted with how a mistake that could have been disasterous instead turned into a heartwarming story. “While we’re a 130-year-old humanitarian organization, we’re also made of up human beings,” the agency wrote in a blog post. “Thanks for not only getting that but for turning our faux pas into something good.” And for its new wave of Twitter fans, the Red Cross offered two pieces of advice. Wait a bit after donating that pint of blood before guzzling down your free beer pint. Also: “Be careful of Hootsuite!”

by the Red Cross’ calm and humane response, other tweeters

the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2011 /

Oklahoma Blood Donors Make Appointments on the Go

Oklahoma blood donors can schedule blood donations just about anywhere they go, thanks to the Oklahoma Blood Institute's (OBI) GiVE BLOOD iPhone application, launched in fall 2010. And they're now doing it three or four times per day, according to Lindsay Cobb, communications manager. “Through the use of word-of-mouth marketing, as well as social

media and frontline staff involvement, the number of appointment requests has slowly increased since its launch,” Cobb says. In its fi rst six months, 1,620 donors downloaded the free app, which not only allows them to schedule appointments from wherever they are, but also provides a map of nearby OBI centers and features a countdown clock that lets them know when they're next eligible to donate. “General response has been great. Donors like the app and the ability to instantly engage,” Cobb says. “Making it easier for them to identify when they are eligible to donate, helping them fi nd a donation location, and the function to add it to their

Outlook Calendar are ways we are helping our donors to more easily save lives.” OBI is already working on a 2.0 version of the GiVE BLOOD application, as well as an Android-friendly version, and encourages other centers to share this technology. “The GiVE BLOOD app is designed to be very turn-key for other donor centers, and we encourage other centers to take advantage of this app to better engage donors in blood donation,” Cobb says. If you would like to use the GiVE BLOOD app for your donor center, please contact Todd Abner at [email protected].

Vice President of Donor Recruitment Todd Abner presented “Reaching Donors Through iPhone Applications,” sharing the Oklahoma Blood Institute's iPhone application and how adapting new technologies to customer trends can increase blood collections at the ADRP Conference in Minneapolis, May 2011.

ADRP Goes Social

ADRP uses social media as a way to connect directly with members in an attempt to engage them in conversation. This past year, the ADRP Marketing and Communications Committee researched the various social media platforms to determine the best methods of reaching members. Their research determined that the best social media avenues to connect with members are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Currently, ADRP’s Facebook page has more than 150 “likes” and was extensively utilized by conference attendees to share their conference feedback. Grace Gehrke posted on the ADRP page, “Awesome conference! Went back to work today reenergized.” Most recently, photos were uploaded to our facebook page and several ADRP members have posted comments. Way to stay connected! Twitter, another social media platform was used throughout the conference by some of our members, proved to be useful in receiving “real-time” feedback. @LisaGravely tweeted: “@ADRPnews loved National Marrow presentation today.” The other social media platforms mentioned above will be utilized in conjunction with Facebook and Twitter (the two most popular social media platforms at this time). If developing a social media strategy, please be sure it is in line with your overall business and marketing objectives. If you are already utilizing social media, please connect with ADRP online. Find us at facebook.com/adrp or follow us @ADRPnews. / the Drop - ADRP’s Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2011

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HHS Calls for Standards on Blood TransfusionsReprinted from AP Medical Writer, by Lauran Neergaard

A government advisory committee is calling for national standards on transfusions. All the variability shows “there is both excessive and inappropriate use of blood transfusions in the United States,” advisers to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius have concluded. “Improvements in rational use of blood have lagged.” “Better patient care is what’s being advocated here,” says Dr. Richard Benjamin, chief medical offi cer of the American Red Cross. “If a transfusion is not necessary, all you can do is harm.” The United States uses a lot of blood, more than 14 million units of red blood cells a year. Between 1994 and 2008, blood use climbed 40 percent. In many years, parts of the country experienced spot shortages as blood banks struggled to bring in enough donors to keep up. Blood use dropped a bit with the recession, roughly 6 percent over two years, Benjamin says. That dip has leveled off, but specialists say demand is sure to rise again in coming years as the population rapidly grays and people who once were prime donors become more ill and frail. Right now, overall donation levels are good with one exception, Benjamin says: There’s a big need for more Type O-negative blood, especially as banks prepare for the usual summertime donor drop. Few donors are Type O negative, but it’s compatible with all other blood types and hospitals have begun using more of it in recent years. What’s the evidence for avoidable transfusions? One study published last fall tracked more than 100,000 people who underwent open-heart surgery, a transfusion-heavy operation.

Just 8 percent of those patients received transfusions at some hospitals, while a startling 93 percent did at other hospitals. But survival wasn’t signifi cantly different at hospitals that used more blood than at hospitals that used less. Another study last fall examined Medicare patients who received blood for various reasons over a 10-year period, and found those who live in the South are the most likely to get a transfusion and those who live in the West are the least likely. Overall, the United States uses about 49 units of blood for every 1,000 patients, substantially more than Canada or Britain where those transfusion rates are in the 30s, Benjamin says. HHS advisers are urging the government to explore “patient blood management,” instituting guidelines on when a transfusion is avoidable. For example at Eastern Maine Medical Center, doctors now order blood via a computerized form that warns if they’re about to deviate from the guidelines and tracks who uses the most. Patients are supposed to be checked for anemia before elective

surgery is scheduled, so they can be treated with iron or other therapies beforehand and lower chances of a post-surgery transfusion. For non-surgery patients, other guidelines spell out when anemia is bad enough to warrant a transfusion or when a patient should just be monitored. In cardiac and back surgeries, equipment captures a patient’s own blood and pumps it back right away, reducing the need for post-surgery transfusions. The program reduced the amount of blood drawn just for laboratory tests, and limited when doctors can order multiple transfusions rather than checking fi rst to see if one did the trick. As a result, the hospital gives blood to nearly half as many patients as it did in 2006, the year before the program began. Transfusion Chief Dr. Irwin Gross described has said that the hospital saved $5.4 million over four years in the cost of buying blood.

Study Finds African Migrants in AustraliaFear Donor DiscriminationReprinted from www.watoday.com.au, by Lucy Rickard

African migrants in Australia are less likely to donate blood due to underlying feelings of discrimination and mistrust of the health system, according to a Victorian study. A study carried out by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service found African migrants felt excluded by mainstream society, did not trust the health system and felt the broader Australian community believed their blood was diseased. The study was conducted to examine why Saharan African migrants and refugees were among the lowest groups in the Australian population to donate blood. Blood services Executive Director David Irving said the participants in the study felt they were viewed negatively, and their blood was not wanted. “Whether this is accurate or not is not the point, it’s their perception that matters and this infl uences their decision to donate blood,” Dr. Irving said. “African people have a higher prevalence of rare blood types not seen in the general population, so we need them to give blood. “Blood donation in these communities is also infl uenced by a number of general and culturally specifi c factors including fear of needles, lack of time, poor access to mobile blood donation units and lack of awareness of donation sites and practices.” Dr. Irving said he was disappointed with the fi ndings of the study, which refl ected an overall sentiment of migrant and refugee exclusion from Australian society. Views of study participants were outlined in the study manuscript ‘They Don’t Want Our Blood,’ with one man saying he could not relate to Red Cross advertisements, which used predominantly Caucasian people. “Here in Australia, I can’t really see any ethnic person in the mainstream,” one Nigerian refugee said. “I once went to the Red Cross to give blood. The lady there, she thought I was lost. But I wanted more information. She thought I had missed the op-shop next door to buy second-hand clothes and sent me there,” a Sudanese man said.

Previous studies cited in the manuscript found blood was a symbolic product in African communities, and anxieties about blood being stolen, wasted or misappropriated had travelled with some migrants. “There was a strong feeling from the participants that the general community and health institutions believed Africans carried diseases like HIV/AIDS, and that migrants were contagious and diseased if they were from Africa,” the manuscript read. “Many questioned whether their blood would be acceptable to the Caucasian population and often concluded otherwise, thus deciding not to donate. “It is possibly even more worrying that some negative experiences reported were associated with dealings with health workers, who would be expected to focus on individual wellbeing rather than race. “One participant expressly identifi ed a perception that the Caucasian population would not accept African blood. Many concluded racist and discriminatory views meant that, “White people can’t accept the blood from Africans,” and there was little point in donating. The Red Cross was using the study’s fi ndings to gain a better cultural understanding of African communities in a bid to improve blood donation rates in minority races.


During the annual ADRP Conference, outgoing 2010—11 ADRP President Kelly High updated attendees on the progress of the association in achieving the goals set out in the Strategic Plan, which was established under 2009 —10 President John Hagins. “I consider myself fortunate to have followed John Hagins,” noted High. “Before he left office, John worked with the Board members to formulate an excellent five-year strategic plan that I used as a guide for my year as president.” High reviewed the six main goals to the ADRP strategic plan. >>

ADRP Board and Committees Make Progress on Strategic Plan


GoAl: Provide Professional DevelopmentTwo years ago, through the Career Development Committee, ADRP began offering free monthly webinars to members as a way to provide more value to members.

“The feedback we receive after each has been excellent. The webinars allow us to provide education and interaction with your colleagues beyond the conference. They have been viewed by members from Nigeria to New Zealand, demonstrating our value as a global association,” added High.

Recognizing that vendors offer industry expertise, last year ADRP began offering sessions facilitated by corporate partners. This year, the Career Development Committee increased this offering by adding preconference sessions hosted by select vendors willing to subsidize the offering, allowing ADRP to provide the education free of charge to conference attendees. Nearly 200 members signed up to attend these sessions and feedback on each indicates the offering was much appreciated.

In addition, the Accreditation Council is working to refine and complete the curriculum for the certificate program.

High also recognized the hard work of the ADRP Conference Committee to create a conference that provides diverse learning and networking opportunities for the front line recruiter, as well as managers and supervisors and even CEOs.

GoAl: Increase MembershipIn 2010-11 ADRP instituted a Center Membership Program, allowing a blood center to sign up more staff as ADRP members at a lower cost per person. The Membership Committee also offered a new member orientation at the conference and established an annual recognition program celebrating years of continuous membership. These individuals were recognized with special ribbons.

GoAl: Broaden International MembershipThe Global Programs Committee has been working to expand the ADRP network internationally. Through their efforts: ADRP presented a poster abstract at the ISBT Congress in Berlin last summer. Former ADRP President Dr. John Armitage, Oklahoma Blood Institute, represented ADRP at the Congress.

High noted that she represented ADRP at the World Health Organization’s October meeting in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss World Blood Donor Day. Dr. Moira Carter also persuaded Wim de Kort from the Netherlands to speak in two sessions on Donor Management in Europe at the annual conference.

GoAl: Brand Identity and an Image for ADRPDuring the final 2010-11 Board meeting, the board adopted a social media strategy drafted by the Communitcations Marketing Committee to help in communicating more effectively with members. (See related article, page nine.)

GoAl: Sustain the organizationDuring this tough economic time, High told members ADRP is

working to develop a three-year business & cash flow plan. “We also want to diversify our income to

programs other than the conference,” she added.

GoAl: Become an Advocate in the Field of Donor Recruitment

“The board wants to develop a voice for recruitment that can articulate and

promote to the public – and even within our industry –the value of our profession. We want

to be an advocate for our members,” explained High. In pursuit of this goal, the board established a Hot Topics Panel discussion at the conference. On Friday afternoon she added there will be an interactive ‘town hall’ session designed to address the issues facing the industry and identify ways blood centers are overcoming these challenges. “One of the greatest values ADRP offers is networking opportunities,” said High. She invited attendees to interact with individuals from other blood centers and around the globe, encouraging them to develop connections that will create a vital support system in their professional development. “In today’s changing environment, knowledge is powerful, and setting yourself apart from others is the key to success. ADRP is proud to provide such a forum to its members,” she concluded.

ADRP instituted a Center

Membership Program, allowing a blood center to sign up more staff as ADRP

members at a lower cost per person.


2011-12 Executive CommitteePresidentDavid GrahamCommunity Blood Center of KansasVice President of Donor and Hospital Services

Immediate Past PresidentKelly High American Red Cross National Headquarters Director, CRM Business Transformation

President-ElectCarol Mitchell Canadian Blood Services Corporate Manager, Donor Services

TreasurerCharles Moore American Red Cross - Southeast Division Director, Recruitment Call Centers

SecretaryAmy Hutch United Blood Services Director, Donor Recruitment

Vice PresidentMoira Carter Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service National Donor Services Manager

Vice PresidentDarrin Greenlee American Red Cross - Arizona Blood Services Region CEO

2011-12 Board of Directors after being sworn in.

ADRP BOARD OF DIRECTORS2011-12 Directors-at-largeTodd Abner Oklahoma Blood Institute VP - Donor Recruitment & Public Relations

Robert Carden Virgina Blood Systems President & CEO

Matt Granato America’s Blood Centers Director, Marketing & Member Services

Paul Hayes New Zealand Blood Service Marketing Manager

Aissa Martin American Red Cross Regional Manager, Recruitment Support

Carla Peterson United Blood Services Regional Donor Recruitment Director

Marty Ricker US Armed Services Blood Program Recruiter Supervisor

Joe Ridley Carter BloodCare Senior Director, Donor Services

Paul Sullivan American Red Cross - Connecticut Blood Services Region CEO

Sylvie Daigneault Héma-Québec Marketing and International Affairs Director

Terri Dunaway American Red Cross - Central Plains Blood Services Region Chief Executive Offi cer

Christine Hayes LifeServe Blood Center Vice President, Communications

Shari Miller South Texas Blood & Tissue Center V.P. Recruitment Services

David Montgomery Community Blood Center of the Ozarks Senior Director, Marketing & Donor Recruitment

Jim Tinker Hoxworth Executive Director, Marketing & Communications

Study Focuses on Whether Blood Screening Can Diagnose Early Breast CancerReprinted from Medical NewsA study spearheaded by the University of Leicester aims to fi nd out whether a blood test can detect cancer, earlier than current methods, in women with a strong family history of breast cancer. Leicestershire cancer research charity Hope Against Cancer is supporting the study with a Maria Tilton Research Fellowship based at the University of Leicester. Dr Jacqui Shaw, of the University Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, said: “The ultimate goal of our research is to develop simple blood tests for breast cancer screening and monitoring. The clear potential value of this research is that earlier detection may lead to improved patient outcomes. In addition, if a blood test can predict progression of the disease this could help doctors to decide on therapy earlier, which could achieve a more successful outcome.”

September Designated as National ITP Awareness MonthThe Platelet Disorder Support Association (PSDA) designated September as national Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) Awareness Month. PDSA requested this designation in 2010 to increase the public’s understanding of ITP and other platelet disorders, let patients and their families know that there are resources and support available to help them have the best possible outcomes, and that they are not alone. PDSA offers a comprehensive array of education and support services to patients and their families as well as health care providers. The organization answers thousands of calls and emails each year, provide FREE educational materials and local support, and its Web site, pdsa.org, contains 200 + pages of valuable information about ITP, treatments, diet, and support and has become the premier news source for medical professionals and patients with ITP and other platelet disorders.

New Drug Prevents Strokes, Less Major BleedingPfi zer Inc. (PFE)’s and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY)’s experimental blood thinner apixaban prevented more strokes with less major bleeding than traditional treatment in patients with irregular heartbeats in a key study. The results position apixaban, expected to trail two rivals in gaining approval, to leap into the lead in a $7 billion market for warding off strokes in patients with the condition known as atrial fi brillation, said Mark Schoenebaum, an analyst with ISI Group, in a note to investors. Pfi zer and Bristol-Myers plan to fi le for regulatory approval in the United States and Europe by year’s end, the New York-based companies released in a statement summarizing the study’s data. Apixaban will compete against Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH’sPradaxa, approved last year, in the contest to replace the half-century-old drug warfarin, a sensitive medicine that requires regular laboratory tests to ensure patients get the proper dose. Xarelto, another rival from Bayer AG of Leverkusen, Germany, and New Brunswick, New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), is awaiting United States approval.

Summer Buzz...


Summer Buzz...Caffeinated Coffee Boosts Blood GCSF Levels, Protects Against Alzheimer’s Reprinted from Medical News

A yet unidentifi ed component of coffee interacts with the beverage’s caffeine, which could be a surprising reason why daily coffee intake protects against Alzheimer’s disease. A new Alzheimer’s mouse study, by researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) found that this interaction boosts blood levels of a critical growth factor that seems to fi ght off the Alzheimer’s disease process.

The fi ndings appear in the early online version of an article to be published June 28 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Using mice bred to develop symptoms mimicking Alzheimer’s disease, the USF team presents the fi rst evidence that caffeinated coffee offers protection against the memory-robbing disease that is not possible with other caffeine-containing drinks or decaffeinated coffee. Previous observational studies in humans reported that daily coffee/caffeine intake during mid-life and in older age decreases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The USF researchers’ earlier studies in Alzheimer’s mice indicated that caffeine was likely the ingredient in coffee that provides this protection because it decreases brain production of the abnormal protein beta-amyloid, which is thought to cause the disease. The new study does not diminish the importance of caffeine to protect against Alzheimer’s. Rather it shows that caffeinated coffee induces an increase in blood levels of a growth factor called GCSF (granulocyte colony stimulating factor). GCSF is a substance greatly decreased in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and demonstrated to improve memory in Alzheimer’s mice. A just-completed clinical trial at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute is investigating GCSF treatment to prevent full-blown Alzheimer’s in patients with mild cognitive impairment, a condition preceding the disease. The results of that trial are currently being evaluated and should be known soon.

Supermodel Encourages Others to DonateReprinted from USA Today

On World Blood Donor Day, Supermodel Niki Taylor encouraged others to donate blood. “In May 2001, I was in a one-car crash with a friend when our car slammed into a utility poll. I remember the impact of my body against the seat belt and my knees hitting the dashboard. There were no outside signs of injury, but I began having severe stomach pains,” Taylor said. “The last thing I remember is being in a fetal position off to the side of the car in the grass, thinking of my twins. I was in for the biggest fi ght of my life.” Taylor was swiftly taken to a nearby hospital in Atlanta where she had about a one in 10 chance of survival after losing 80 percent of her blood. Thanks to the 100 units of blood she received, Taylor survived, waking up one month later from a coma to begin the long road to recovery. “This experience changed my life. I never took anything for granted before, but this experience gave me the chance to live my life differently. It was a chance to give people hope and to help others,” Taylor said, explaining that she fi rst signed up to be a celebrity ambassador for the American Red Cross in 2007. “My story shows how important it is to give blood. You never know when your life might be in jeopardy and you may need blood. It’s my mission now to share this message with others.”


ADRP Elects David Graham as New PresidentDuring its annual conference, the Association of Donor Recruitment Professionals (ADRP), elected David Graham, vice president of donor and hospital services at Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City, as its 2011-12 President of ADRP. Graham began his blood banking career in 2003 as director of donor recruitment for the Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City, an independent locally-based non-profi t that supplies blood to 72 hospitals in Kansas and Missouri. As vice president of donor and hospital services, Graham oversees the center’s marketing, donor recruitment, collections, special donations, outpatient apheresis, component laboratoy, patient testing laboratory, hospital distribution, hospital relations, and volunteer services. Prior to his blood banking career, Graham spent 16 years in sales and sales management roles for such companies as Merck Medco Managed Care, Consumer Health Services, GeoAccess and NetSales. He graduated with a B.A. from Northwest Missouri State University and earned a Master’s Degree from Indiana University. >>

David Graham, Vice President

of Donor and Hospital

Services,Community

Blood Center of Kansas


Excerpt From 2011 —12 ADRP President David Graham’s Acceptance SpeechI attended my fi rst ADRP conference seven years ago. I had been director of donor recruitment at the Community Blood Center in Kansas City, my fi rst job in blood banking, for less than a year. The conference was a great experience, and not just because we were in Las Vegas. It was great because of the people I met and the resources that became available to me. Before joining Community Blood Center I had many years of sales experience and sold many different products and services. I had successfully moved between various industries and was comfortable and confi dent that my past experiences had prepared me for any new job in a new fi eld. But nothing was like donor recruitment, and blood banking was unlike any other industry I had worked in. ADRP helped me tremendously. I learned so much at that fi rst conference, and each conference since. Additionally, I met some great people who over the years have taught me a lot about blood banking and donor recruitment. They have served as a resource for me throughout the years and still do. They helped me to balance the emotions of our work with the business needs. At times, these individuals have

served as an outlet to share my frustrations, because as you know it is hard to explain the frustrations of this job with someone who has never been a donor recruiter. I don’t think I would have made it eight years in blood banking without ADRP.

I would like to take a few minutes today to talk about change. Every industry evolves and changes over time and blood banking is no different. However we are in the midst of some very dramatic changes.

•The demand for blood is decreasing;•Hospital’s are looking closely at the cost of blood; •Blood centers are intensifying focus on cost of production and effi ciency improvements; •Advancements in technology continues to increase the ways we can communicate with our donors.

Change creates stress but it also creates opportunity. All of us have the opportunity to respond to these changes in ways that make us, our blood centers, our industry better and ultimately help us fulfi ll our life-saving mission to the communities we serve. ADRP is responding to these changes and is a great resource to help us achieve success. Overall demand for blood is down. In Kansas City we have seen demand decrease by over 10 percent during the past two years. I have heard of similar experiences from others across the country. Recently I was explaining this to a friend of mine and he asked “does this make it easier for you?” implying that getting that last 10 percent of needed blood was the tough part and up to that point the donors willingly walked in on their own. Do any of you feel like your job has gotten easier? I explained that no, it was still challenging and the role of a donor recruiter was still vital to our community. Just as it did for me seven years ago and has been doing for over 30 years ADRP will continue to be the premier resource for donor recruiters who are out there daily working to ensure enough people are donating. With a new focus on healthcare reform and the cost of healthcare, hospitals are looking at all their expenses, including the cost of blood, more intensely. This forces blood banks to focus on their cost-of-production with the goal being to improve effi ciency. This affects donor recruitment in multiple ways. There is increased focus on collection by blood type and the most effective use of red cell automation to maximize

The importance of recruitment is now being

recognized

©bloodbankpartners.com

Good things happen when donors are convinced their blood donations

really are saving lives.

6500 West Vickery BoulevardFort Worth, TX 76116817.989.0000www.bloodbankpartners.com

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f c i b l o o d . c o [email protected] • [email protected] • [email protected]

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collection effi ciency. Additionally, recruitment is now not only expected to achieve its collection goals but also do so only at the most cost-effective blood drives. Travel time and staffi ng levels are monitored and measured and new minimums and maximums are being enforced. Recruitment leadership has taken on a new importance in blood banking. Or maybe I should say, the importance of recruitment is now being recognized. We are no longer seen as being on the “outside” of the business of blood banking. Like every other department, recruitment is critical to the effi cient and effective operations of a successful blood center. This provides recruitment leaders with new opportunities, but we must be prepared for this. It is incumbent on us to continually improve our leadership skills and increase our overall knowledge of blood banking. Additionally the relationship between recruitment and collections is changing: the old days of open warfare or at best ignoring each other no longer work. Targeting collections of the right product from the right donor, at the most effi cient mobile drives, staffed appropriately and effi ciently requires clear direction and a strong working relationship with regular communication between recruitment and collections. ADRP is responding to all these changes. You can see that refl ected at this conference. From sessions covering topics such as “right-sizing” collections, blood type recruiting and recruiting the right donors for the right products. Additional sessions focus on leadership, team building and industry hot topics. ADRP is reaching out to our colleagues in collections, inviting them to join us in the recruitment and retention of blood donors. Their participation makes us a better

organization. Expect to see more opportunities and programs for these two departments to come together in the future. Hopefully, at the 2012 conference we’ll have a collections track. The last area of change I would like to discuss has to do with communication — how we get our message out and how we communicate with donors. Seven years ago at the ADRP conference the most common methods discussed were telerecruiting and mailing postcards. Guess what? That still works for some of our donors. My parents are 79 and still donate. They prefer a phone call or a postcard promoting the blood drive at their church. Several years ago it was all about emailing your donors. It is inexpensive and easy to set up multiple email campaigns. This still works too for the right group of

donors. I’m 49 and I prefer email; don’t call me, with caller ID I won’t answer, don’t mail me, I won’t read it; but I love email, especially if there is a link to schedule my donation appointment. In two months, my son Alec, turns 16 and will be eligible to donate. How do we reach him and his friends? He doesn’t talk on the phone, he only texts. He goes weeks without checking his email, but he is on Facebook daily. ADRP has been offering social media sessions and webinars for several years. This year there was a session on reaching donors through an iPhone app. ADRP will continue to be a resource for future enhancements in communications and donor recruitment. I hope I have been able to demonstrate the ways ADRP is responding to the changes taking place in blood banking. For 33 years, ADRP has been dedicated to the donor recruitment profession. You can imagine the changes that have taken place over those 33 years; ADRP is still here and still going strong. That is only possible because people got involved. You can ensure that ADRP continues to meet the changing needs of the recruitment profession by volunteering to serve on committees, by participating in webinars or posting comments on the blog. I would encourage all of you to get involved to ensure the great work of ADRP continues. I am truly honored to serve as president of this great organization for the next year. I want to thank Dr. Jay Menitove, CEO and Medical Director and my boss at the Community Blood Center for supporting my involvement with ADRP. I also want to thank all my colleagues at CBC, several who are here from Recruitment, Marketing and Collections, for their support as well. Thank you to my friends on the ADRP Board of Directors and to all of you for your help and support. I am looking forward to an exciting year!ADRP will continue

to be a resource for future enhancements

in communications and donor recruitment.

This was my fi rst ADRP Conference so I didn’t know what to expect. After attending a session on college recruiting, I was so inspired that I wanted to fl y back to Texas and get to work that night.

— Alicia ToddDonor Recruiter, Carter BloodCare

ADRP [Conference] was such an energizing experience as a donor recruiter. It reminded me that none of us are alone in the challenges we face. It reminded me the importance of coming together and sharing ideas. The whole conference left me saying to myself, ‘What I do does make a difference. I can overcome any challenge. And I can do it with enthusiasm!’

— Jennifer LilesRepresentative I, Donor Recruitment

American Red Cross, Carolinas Region

Excellent place to learn from each other about recruiting donors and most importantly — feeling normal.

— Sean Hong, Blood Donor Recruitment Coordinator Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center

2011 Conference

Wrap-Up

For more photos of the conference visit

facebook.com/adrp.org

I had a great time! I got to meet new people, and share our ideas and processes, realizing that most of us are in the same boat, just different waters...

— Adria Moreno-Mejia, Donor Recruitment ConsultantSouth Texas Blood and Tissue Center

Excellent place to learn from each other about recruiting donors and most importantly — feeling normal.

— Sean Hong, Blood Donor Recruitment Coordinator Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center

If you want to be inspired, stimulated, learn new ways of being successful, network with professionals from around the world, meet passionate people who walk the talk, and have some fun, FIND A WAY TO GO TO THE 2012 ADRP CONFERENCE. It is the experience of a lifetime! You will leave recommitted, reenergized, reinvigorated, rededicated and anxious to put into practice what you have learned.

— Carolyn MihalkoDistrict Manager, Donor Services

American Red Cross Biomedical Service

Leticia Mondragon Donor Development/Public RelationsCoastal Bend Blood Center

Mondragon began her work in donor recruitment in 1998, and over the past 12 years, she has shown incredible drive and success in growing donor contributions. She is currently responsible for over half of the mobile collection department’s total goal each month, covering the largest of three territories in the Coastal Bend region. In 2003, Mondragon developed a partnership with the Nueces County Courthouse which lead to weekly blood drives in conjunction with jury selection. She also developed a high school program, which provides over a quarter of the center’s annual draw. Most recently, Mondragon started the Coastal Bend Blood Center’s semi-annual blood drive, “O” What a Party, to increase donations during the winter and summer months, inviting all donors, but specifi cally targeting “O” donors with great success.

Donor Recruiter of the Year

Tammy WhiteleyDirector of Donor RecruitmentOklahoma Blood Institute

Whiteley exhibits outstanding leadership and commitment to the success of donor recruitment. She began working with the Oklahoma Blood Institute in 1997 as a blood program consultant for the southwest territory. In 2001 Whiteley was promoted to manager and with her leadership, service of member hospitals has nearly doubled. In 2005, she assumed her current role as director of donor recruitment, overseeing mobile recruitment, tele-recruitment and community relations statewide. In the 2010 “Be the Match” marrow recruitment program, Whiteley led the Oklahoma Blood Institute to a fi rst place ranking in the NMDP’s Central Region and a third place ranking over all participating regions. The mobile recruitment team says she has been a great mentor, seeking every opportunity in growth for herself and her team.

Manager of the Year

Jack PattersonGarland Scottish Rite Club, Texas Masonic LodgesSubmitted by: Carter BloodCare

Patterson became involved in blood donation more than 20 years ago, with his Garland Scottish Rite Club and Carter BloodCare. Patterson has worked tirelessly over the years to implement blood drives at Masonic Lodges throughout Texas, which have collected approximately 50,000 units of blood, enough to cover all of the blood expenses for all 22 Shriner hospitals in the United States. In addition to time and energy given toward the Gift of Life Program, Patterson volunteers to train future coordinators and organizes four annual drives for his Garland Lodge, collecting close to 300 units annually. Patterson is a recipient of America’s Blood Center’s Humanitarian Award. As 57-gallon donor, Patterson is recognized by his peers and the donor community for his continued dedication in blood donation.

Chairperson of the Year


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During the 2011 ADRP Annual Conference, the association also launched the new Bob Fechner Leadership Series. “Bob was a dear friend and a tremendous inspiration to many of us at the Red Cross, in ADRP and to others throughout the industry,” said 2010-11 ADRP President Kelly High while announcing the new series.

“The ADRP Board would like to see Bob’s belief and support of education and ADRP live on through this annual educational Leadership Series. ADRP’s mission

is to provide educational resources to the recruitment professional. Paramount to this is development of future leaders in the industry who can in turn educate, motivate and inspire our front line recruiters.” ADRP invited Bob’s wife, Julie Fechner to accept an award in Bob’s honor. “We are excited to honor him by providing educational development opportunities to our membership through the Bob Fechner Leadership Series,” said High. She told Julie and the attendees, “Bob would be pleased to know that these are the most popular sessions in this year’s conference. There are a 100 or more individuals registered for each session.” The 2011 Bob Fechner Leadership series included:• “Generational Difference IS the Workplace” by James Giacolleti from Carter BloodCare• “Teambuilding with an Edge: Empowering Others, Creating a Motivating Environment” by Patti Sauer• “Leadership in the Midst of Chaos” by Tiffany Zitewitz from America’s Blood Centers A video tribute to Bob, which ran at the conference, is available for viewing on the ADRP blog in the recruiter resource section of the website.

ADRP Names leadership Series in Honor of Bob Fechner

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

— Jack Welch

Paula RobertsCorporate Director of Donor RecruitmentBlood Systems, Inc. Under Roberts’ leadership, Blood Systems has seen a 36 percent increase in red cell production, 22 percent decrease in employee turnover and the implementation of an online scheduling system that produces more than 600,000 online donation appointments annually. She serves as the catalyst behind the professional and successful recruiters of the Blood Systems organization, a team that generates more than one million red blood cells annually. Roberts championed the implementation of Hemasphere, eDonor and an online distribution program for recruitment materials. In addition, Roberts created compensation and recognition structures, fully integrating donor recruitment into overall operational planning. She is highly active in ADRP and America’s Blood Centers (ABC) and has served as an ADRP conference presenter; motivating others with her knowledge and willingness to share ideas.

Ron Franzmeier Award

Accepting Award, Julie Fechner

Ron Hein Accepts Award for Sue Barry

Ron HeinExecutive DirectorLifeShare Blood Centers, Shreveport, LA

Hein started his career in blood banking as a recruiter in Chicago, Illinois, in the 1970s. His infl uence and direct initiatives have made positive changes in how the industry handles donor recruitment. Hein’s peers say he has always been ahead of the curve, striving to improve the systems and services in the blood banking industry. Hein was one of the fi rst to advocate the development of recruitment programs relying on a consistent and abundant supply of blood by type and product. During his tenure at United Blood Services in Las Vegas, Nevada, his efforts in automation served as a template for blood centers across the nation. Hein is one of the most inspiring and demanding advocates in the donor recruitment profession.

Ronald o. Gilcher, MD Award

Accepting Award, Lesley Salsman, HR Analyst

Accepting Award, Jessica Aguilar, Director of Sales

and Promotions

KABB-TV, San Antonio, TXSubmitted by: South Texas Blood and Tissue Center

The generous and enthusiastic media support of KABB-TV has been instrumental in the success of the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center’s (STBTC) annual Give 2 Live Blood Drive & Marrow Registration since the event began in 2006. Their pre-drive publicity starts weeks before the event, including public service announcements, web promotions, email dialogue and heartfelt on-air stories. KABB-TV makes blood drives fun for their viewers with chatty on-air updates and comical public service announcements. KABB-TV is a member of the Sinclair Broadcasting Group, serving an audience of over 800,000 people in 25 Texas counties. The entire staff has been involved in promoting blood drives and educating citizens about the specifi c needs for donations in their community.

Media of the Year

International Business Machines (IBM)Submitted by: Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center, Rochester, MN

IBM currently supplies 10 percent of the annual needs for the Mayo Clinic. Since their partnership in 1986, the Rochester branch of IBM has greatly benefi ted the lives patients. IBM has fully integrated a Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center on their campus and 22 percent of their employees donate, supplying an average of 15 units per day (almost 3,000 units annually). The IBM community fully supports recruitment initiatives and invites the center to team-building events, such as Lunch and Learn, Kids Day with Parents, Wellness Fair, New Hire Network and IBM Retirement Club. They initiated a Blood Donor of the Month parking spot and provide medical coverage for donors if needed. Employees demonstrate a positive attitude; encouraging high performance levels and an enjoyable environment.

organization of the Year


Webinar July 27!Hot Topics in Recruitment Wednesday, July 27

1 pm CSTJoin us for ADRP’s ‘real world’ tools webinars. Ask a panel of experts diffi cult ‘how to’ questions. From how to recruit in diffi cult times…to how to increase penetration rates…to how to tell donors no…hear about best practices in recruitment.

REGISTER TODAY

Winning EssayChapman Scholarship

On November 15, 2005, I started working for HOPE worldwide Kenya (HWWK) as a blood donor program coordinator. My overall responsibility was to market the Blood donor Program in Kenya through HWWK. I am a marketer by profession and I had marketed and sold different products before. Marketing is the process of performing market research, selling products and/or services to customers and promoting them via advertising to further enhance sales. With this defi nition in mind, I was not so sure how I was to market a blood donor program. I looked toward the 4 Ps of marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion and attempted to make the program fi t into this mix. Knowing that blood is not a product you can pick from the shelf and pay a price for, I knew that successfully marketing the blood donor program was going to be diffi cult and unique. We fi gured out that what we must sell are the benefi ts of donating blood to the potential donors. The challenge with that is the fact that the benefi ts of blood donation are not tangible but the satisfaction that one has saved a life. In the course of my work, I met with members of the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), which led to my attendance at the annual 2008 AABB conference in Montreal, Canada. While I found the conference very informative, the presentations were a bit too technical and scientifi c. I was thirsty for information that would be more applicable to the Kenya environment of blood donor recruitment. During the Montreal Conference, I met Carol Mitchell from Canadian Blood Services who introduced me to the Association of

Donor Recruitment Professional (ADRP). I made an unsuccessful attempt to attend the 2009 ADRP conference in Seattle. Now, I have an opportunity to not only attend the 2011 conference in Minneapolis but also to present my essay. Being awarded this scholarship will help me a great deal as it will take care of the accommodations and conference registration expenses—affording me the opportunity to attend Attending the conference will give me an opportunity to network with other recruitment partners from all over the world, learn from them, and share my own experiences. As I share my experience on media advocacy and blood donation in Kenya, I also hope to get more ideas on how other countries have implemented media programs that promote blood donation. In Kenya one of the biggest challenges is that more than 70 percent of the population lives in the rural areas and they have not been educated on blood donation at all. After attending, I hope to return home and implement the new ideas I will acquire from the conference and educate the rural population through the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Services. Being at the conference will also help me grow within my profession in Kenya and Eastern Africa. Recently, the management of HWWK asked me to start providing technical support to our sister organization, HOPE worldwide Ethiopia. The lessons I learn at the ADRP conference will benefi t my work at HWWK and eventually Ethiopia’s blood donor program as well. — Fridah Mcharo

Recipient:Fridah Mcharo,Program Manager,HOPE worldwide Kenya

Mcharo began her work for HOPE worldwide Kenya (HWWK) in 2005. She knew going into this fi eld that it would be a challenge and require a different approach to the type of marketing in which she had experience. She considered the four cornerstones of marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion, asking herself how that might apply to blood donation. According to Fridah, “Knowing that blood is not any product you can pick from the shelf and pay a price for, we came to the conclusion that what we sell are the intangible benefi ts of donation to the potential donors, the satisfaction that one has saved a life.”


Winning EssayPresidential Scholarship

I am a hospital-based voluntary blood donor recruiter in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Surulere Lagos Nigeria West Africa. My primary assignment in the hospital is Medical Laboratory Scientist with Specialty in Blood Transfusion. I trained with Safe Blood for Africa Abuja in 2006 as a Blood Donor Recruiter at my former place of employment. I worked in the Pathology Department of Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta, Ogun State South/West of Nigeria. Presently, I am working with LUTH, which is about a 750-bed hospital with 12 functional modular theatres. LUTH has the biggest Blood Donor Clinic of all the Federal Health Hospitals in Nigeria. Before, 98 percent of its source of blood was the Family Replacement Donor Practice. In 2006 LUTH had a voluntary blood donor bus that was not being utilized; I had to summon the courage to form a recruitment team. My supervisor has a keen interest in recruitment of voluntary donors so we started our campaign in the hospital. Our team was made up of hospital and college staff, University of Lagos Medical students, in which we have different groups, clubs, Christian fellowship students, Muslim student associations. Since we now have a mobile clinic, we can go to any institution, church, or group in Lagos metropolis to canvass and sensitize

people on the voluntary non-remunerated blood donor program. In fact, it has been a success and is presently the only LUTH that has a Voluntary Blood Donation Unit out of all the Federal Health Hospitals in Nigeria. Others source blood through family replacement practice and also get blood from their State Nigerian National Blood Transfusion Service, according to the president of Americas Blood Centers (ABC), Thomas Schallert, and his team during their visit to my centre. He encouraged me to join ADRP so that I can network and exchange ideas. I was so disappointed that Africa is not on the list of countries striving towards the goal of 100 percent voluntary non-remunerated blood donors that I made contact with director of donor recruitment NCCB North California and other ADRP members. Currently, the hospital’s Family Replacement Donor Practice dependency has reduced to about 80 percent. I believe that if I’m awarded the Presidential Scholarship I can network and share ideas, during and after the conference, with other members of ADRP, especially those from other African countries who are using similar methods of family replacement before they converted to 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donors. — Anthony Olusesan Ajayi

ADRP Scholarship Applications

Each year ADRP scholarships are awarded to managers and recruiters who share their unique experience with blood donor programs and/or recruitment. Recipients are presented with an excellent opportunity to increase their expertise with complimentary registration to the Annual ADRP Conference, as well as two nights lodging in the host hotel.For more information visit www.adrp.org.

Recipient:Anthony Olusesan Ajayi,Donor Recruiter,Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

When Anthony began at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, he noticed that the hospital had a voluntary Blood Donor bus that was not being utilized. Anthony initiated a campaign involving staff and students from area universities and hospitals to utilize the bus to recruit donors. They successfully recruited more than 2,000 voluntary donors in the past four years. They now use the mobile bus to canvas the greater Lagos area to educate Nigerian people on the importance of voluntary blood donations.

ADRP Scholarship Applications

Each year ADRP scholarships are awarded to managers and recruiters who share their unique experience with blood donor programs and/or recruitment. Recipients are presented with an excellent opportunity to increase their expertise with complimentary registration to the Annual ADRP Conference, as well as two nights lodging in the host hotel.For more information visit www.adrp.org.


Winning EssayCharles Drew Scholarship

In 1998, I almost lost my then four-year old daughter who had become suddenly and critically ill with a lung infection that led to sepsis and ultimately was placed on ECMO (an experimental life support that used similar circuitry of a heart/lung bypass). During a three-week period in 1998, while on ECMO, our daughter used more than 180 units of blood and blood products. Prior to that time, I HAD NEVER DONATED BLOOD. I was the typical person who walked around in “fear of needles,” totally uninformed about the daily need, and clinging to cultural myths that I had absorbed over the years. As you may imagine, my entire life and outlook changed after that period. I became a committed donor, a vigorous advocate for the local blood program, and eventually joined the recruitment team as a professional recruiter. In June 2006, I was recruited to work with Marrow Donor Program (MDP). I quickly discovered that the same challenges that existed in whole blood, existed in recruiting marrow donors. With marrow donation, a matching donor is most likely to be found within a person’s racial or ethnic community, therefore increasing the number of minority donors helps more patients receive a second chance at life. Most minority populations are underrepresented on the Be The Match Registry, but the Black community had one of the worst statistics - with a devastating impact of 83 percent of African-Americans that require a lifesaving marrow or stem cell transplant NOT receiving one. Therefore, when approached in Spring 2008, with the mission of “tapping into” local Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), I was extremely motivated. NMDP had taken initial steps of introduction and outreach to the presidents at Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University. Armed with “warm leads,” we began a “top-down” approach by contacting the designated key administrators at each campus. We soon found ourselves caught up in the “referral cycle” – referred from one person to another, only to have them refer us to someone else.

Needless to say, it was challenging and disappointing because the people who had the most power to affect change on a large scale, either were totally disengaged or totally uninformed and became road blocks instead of stepping stones. I decided to directly approach the young people on campus. I began by seeking out student leaders both online and at student services offi ces. I attended meetings, educated members, motivated and inspired them with key information and patient stories. The altruism and receptiveness was amazing! We now have on-going success stories on both campuses. At Prairie View, we went from attending one or two blood drives and registering 40 t o 50 donors per year, to have multiple Fall and Spring campus-wide drives, as well as lecturing to and registering classes of 100+ students. We have upcoming drives in Spring 2011, including a “Do Something Big” effort with the Women’s Basketball team and the athletics department. At TSU, our presentation and education regarding marrow donation process and how heritage impacts the need for donors has been adopted as part of the standard curriculum within the Health Administration program in the College of Natural Sciences and Pharmacy. We have guest lecturers each semester for at least eight different HA professors, and continue to participate with the Thurgood Marshall School of Law Students and the Psychology Department as their community service projects. We are planning a CAMCO drive this February with NAACP and Student Government groups. Now, as I walk the halls or student center on both campuses, I answer to “Miss Hope” or “The Bone Marrow Lady”. It’s usually a student telling me “I’m waiting to get my call. I hope I’m a match and can save a life one day.” I must admit, there is no greater feeling in the world to know that you helped to plant a seed that continues to grow and multiply. I must admit, I LOVE WHAT I DO!— Hope Guidry-Groves

Recipient:Hope Guidry-GrovesRecruiter, Gulf Coast Marrow Donor Program

After almost losing her daughter, Hope became an avid donor and eventually became a professional recruiter. In 2006, Hope began working for the Marrow Donor Program, recognizing that minority populations are underrepresented on the Be The Match Registry, especially within the African-American community. She has found success in marrow recruitment in local Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Hope is recognized by her colleagues for her commitment and dedication to the marrow program. As she puts it, “there is no greater feeling in the world to know that you helped to plant a seed that continues to grow and multiply.” The students she works with have caught her contagious spirit to help save lives, and they affectionately refer to her as “Miss Hope.”


Meet Me in St. Louis for the2012 Conference

Save the Dates: May 16-18, 2012

2011 summer drop

Documents

social media spurs donor

german red cross

eld of donor recruitment

donor recruitment profession

puget sound blood center

boozy red cross tweet

new zealand blood service

extensive social media