URGENT! American Red Cross is hammering down on directed donations!
Pure Blood Registry Newsletter July 2024
by Gil Levy, Owner & Founder
We must take action before other blood centers follow!
Dear Community Members,
I hope this message finds you well. Unfortunately, I must share some deeply concerning news that requires our immediate attention and action.
A few days ago, one of our valued members reached out with an urgent situation post-surgery. Her hemoglobin levels were dropping steadily, reaching dangerously low levels. She urgently needed a second round of transfusions from our community members. However, due to recent policy changes by the Red Cross on July 15th, directed donations have become nearly impossible.
The new policy mandates that doctors complete an additional “risk form acknowledgment” for each directed donor. Doctors must also call each donor to explain that directed donations are not safer than the general blood supply and discuss other “risks.” Moreover, doctors are required to confirm the compatibility of the donor's blood type over a phone call, an impractical and impossible task.
If a doctor is willing to and manages to navigate these hurdles, the American Red Cross (ARC) medical director must still sign off before ARC can even begin contacting donors to schedule an appointment. Our member's hematologist informed her that they are not legally allowed to complete directed donor forms or contact chosen donors due to HIPAA regulations. This leaves patients with the burden of contacting donors and ensuring they are aware of the risks, which is another policy violation per ARC.
Now, how the heck is a doctor supposed to confirm this over a phone call? It’s impossible!
But wait, there’s more…
Our member’s hematologist responded with, “So I had a conversation with Dr. Matt, unfortunately we are not legally allowed to fill out directed donor forms or contact your chosen donors due to HIPAA. Dr. Matt also said that if that's the route you choose to take it would be your responsibility to call your chosen donors and make sure they are aware of the risks of directed blood donation."
This story gets much worse from there, and to this day, our member hasn’t been able to get any assistance from her medical staff, and to make the situation worse, the ARC medical director has now retaliated against her and stated that since she didn’t need to use our directed donors blood the first two months it was donated (which is a good thing as surgery went well), but now she’s going to limit her to one donor per month moving forward.
Here’s how we can take action:
The American Red Cross is located in nearly every state in the U.S.
1 - Spread the Word: Share this message with everyone you know. Post on social media and discuss this issue with your loved ones. This policy affects us all and needs to be overturned to prevent other blood centers from adopting similar practices.
2 - Contact the Red Cross: Call the American Red Cross multiple times a day to express your concerns. Their main number is 1-800-RED CROSS (733-2767). Additionally, call your local ARC location to voice your complaints. You can find your nearest location using this link.
3 -Consider Hospital Alternatives: If your hospital relies on the American Red Cross for directed donations, it is critical to consider changing hospitals. Look for hospitals that partner with other blood centers, even if it means seeking care in a neighboring state.
4 - Reach Out to Government Officials: Contact your elected officials via email and phone calls. Urge them to intervene and stop this monopoly on our blood supply. Legislative action is essential to ensure patients can choose safe blood options.
I will keep you updated as more information becomes available. Our community's strength lies in our unity and determination to ensure the best care for our members.
Sincerely,
Gil Levy
CEO & Founder,
