FORT SMITH, Ark. — The Arkansas Blood Institute (ABI) is a part of the Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC) in sending extra blood units in response to the recent school shooting in Oxford Township, Michigan.
The blood will be sent to Versiti, the area's blood center, to meet the immediate medical needs of the eight remaining shooting victims.
This is the second time BERC has activated since its launch in September 2021. The program comprises 21 blood centers, serving more than 30 states, and serves as the nation’s safety net for emergency situations that require immediate transfusion care.
“Situations like these are exactly why BERC was formed,” said Dr. John Armitage, President and CEO of ABI in a press release. “When the blood needs are great and immediate after tragic events like this, we can act swiftly and decisively to ensure patients have access to the blood products they need.”
Through the BERC partnership, blood centers prepare for emergency situations by collecting extra blood products on a rotating on-call schedule. The responding blood centers for the Oxford school shooting were the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank, Coastal Bend Blood Center and ABI.
The nationwide blood shortage continues because of the increased need for blood products and declining donation levels. This results in most blood centers operating with little-to-no safety stored up available blood units for emergency situations.
“Nearly every community is at risk for its blood supply being severely depleted in the face of a mass casualty event,” said Nelson Hellwig, CEO of the Alliance for Community Transfusion Services in a press release. “Through BERC, we are providing the transfusion safety net that provides hope and healing during the darkest times.”
BERC will host an emergency blood drive for the victims of the Michigan shooting at the Bass Pro Shop in Little Rock, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4. Click here to make an appointment.