Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Meagan Christoph | 0033 BREMERTON, Wash. (Feb. 4, 2020) Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Emma Nolan waits to...... read more read more
Imagine being presented an award for giving as well as receiving.
Such was the case at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Bremerton.
Armed Services Blood Program Office (ASBPO) leadership, which manages the Department of Defense blood program, recognized the contributions made by NMRTC Bremerton during a ceremony before the hospital’s first blood drive of the year Feb. 4, 2020.
According to Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Aaron Lake, assigned to NMRTC Bremerton’s Laboratory Department, the Armed Services Blood Bank Center (ASBBC) created the award to recognize the important efforts commands and donors continually make.
Only commands who continually support their mission are recognized.
“For the last 20 years [NMRTC Bremerton] has been helping the Armed Services Blood Program with donors and hosting blood drives,” said U.S. Army Maj. Juan Guzman, chief of ASBBC Pacific Northwest. “Twelve years ago we started the donor tracking of Bremerton. In that time the hospital has donated 2,263 units.”
Accepting the award on behalf of the hospital was Capt. Shannon Johnson, NMRTC Bremerton commanding officer.
“With this award, ASBBC recognizes our team for the exceptional dedication of our donors and the overall outstanding support they receive from our command,” said Johnson. “Out of the six awards given this year, Bremerton had the second largest number of donations. Specifically, over the course of six blood drives in 2019, [NMRTC Bremerton] provided 191 units.”
The initial blood drive for 2020 was deemed a rousing success with a NMRTC Bremerton record 56 units collected.
ASBBC’s website states the overall mission is to operate a Tri-Service staffed regional blood donor center which collects, tests, and distributes blood and blood components in support of contingency and peacetime operations worldwide.
NMRTC Bremerton has consistently held drives to accommodate the mission needs.
“Donors can donate whole blood every 56 days, so we typically try to schedule a blood drive every 56 days,” said Johnson. “Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every two to three seconds and most of us will need blood in our lifetime. The blood we collectively donate [today] will be shipped out to the commands in theatre and used to support our ongoing military operations overseas.”
One pint (or unit) of donated blood can not only save up to three lives, but can also be separated into multiple, vital components of red blood cells, plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate. The red blood cells carry oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues. Plasma is a mixture of water, protein and salts and make up approximately 55 percent of the actual blood volume in the human body. Platelets help promote blood clotting, and cryoprecipitate, which is collected from plasma that has been frozen, then thawed, is a crucial coagulation agent.
Last year the commands that donated the most are U.S. Army 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team with 192 units, NMRTC Bremerton with 191 units, and Trident Training Facility (TTF) with 168 units.
Walk-in or pre-schedule appointments are available with donors receiving a certificate of appreciation and periodic free giveaways.
The next opportunities to donate are March 31, June 2, and Aug. 4 at NMRTC Bremerton. Feb. 12, April 22, June 14, and Aug. 19 at Trident Refit Facility at Naval Base Kitsap (NBK) Bangor. March 18, May 27, July 22, and Sept. 16 at TTF at NBK-Bangor.
NMRTC Bremerton supports more than 60,000 military families in West Puget Sound, shaping military medicine through training, mentoring and research to ensure a ready medical force and operationally ready force.
| Date Taken: | 02.04.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 02.05.2020 13:14 |
| Story ID: | 361805 |
| Location: | BREMERTON , WA, US |
| Web Views: | 168 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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