On Thursday, August 28th, the Ross Medical Education Center campus in Flint hosted their annual blood drive. For the second year in a row, the campus decided to partner with the American Red Cross. However, for the first time, they decided to open it up to the community, all enrolled future students, and Ross graduates. Making it an open house paid off – they had 18 donors total!
According to Laurie Galloway, Flint’s Assistant Director of Admissions, the campus prefers to do their drives through the American Red Cross because they also call their registered donors in the area to come donate. It’s clear that they are very effective in their efforts to save and improve lives across the country. Their website states that they are “the largest single supplier of blood and blood products in the United States, collecting and processing more than 40 percent of the blood supply and distributing it to some 3,000 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide.” Every donation contributes to the strength of the American Red Cross’ influence throughout the country.
Recognizing the importance of providing blood to hospitals and other centers, the Ross community really stepped up. Of the 18 donors, 15 of them were Ross staff, faculty, and students from the Medical Assistant, Dental Assistant, and Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration programs at the Flint campus. Ross Medical Assistant student Sara Minard said, “I love being able to donate blood. It’s good to know I can save peoples lives.” The mission of the American Red Cross Biomedical Services couldn’t echo Minard’s words better when it states that the organization “empowers ordinary people to perform extraordinary acts of service.” The Flint campus of Ross Medical Education Center is so thankful to the American Red Cross Great Lakes Blood Services Region for providing the opportunity to help our nation in an extraordinary way.