Pop-up donation centers keep the blood flowing in wake of COVID-19 shutdowns
COVID-19 was the tourniquet nobody in the blood industry asked for when the disease appeared in Washington last year.
The region’s blood supply came dangerously close to collapsing in the early days of the pandemic. That’s when blood collector Bloodworks Northwest sent out an urgent call for help.
“The community responded beautifully,” said Curt Bailey, the blood center’s president and CEO. “And we collected as much blood as we possibly could because we had no idea what was coming next.”
What came next was a societal shutdown that only now is beginning to ease. In those early days, the blood industry had to adapt quickly.
That’s when Bloodworks came up with pop-up blood donation centers — blood collection events that take advantage of closed ballparks, art museums and other venues now shuttered by COVID-19.
Popping up all over
The blood and blood components that Bloodworks Northwest collect from donors go to hospitals and clinics to provide patients with life-saving treatments.
For decades, blood drives were a major component of blood collection. They were organized at and with the help of businesses, churches, schools and other institutions.
“They would play a role in getting people to sign up and come to the blood drive,” Bailey said.
Almost overnight, blood drives went dormant in March 2020.
“And that was two thirds of all blood collected in the Pacific Northwest,” Bailey said.
Even blood mobiles were rendered inoperative.
“You can’t get six feet apart on a blood bus,” Bailey said. “And you know, when you’re packed in a church basement to do a blood drive, you can’t be six feet apart there.”
Popups have saved Bloodworks, he said.
Now, instead of a day-long drive at a college or business, the pop-ups can last for multiple days, weeks or months. They can be held wherever a large indoor space is going unused.
Every professional sports team in the Pacific Northwest provided space, Bailey said.
“The first one really was the Mariners,” he said. “And they stepped up for 10 weeks.”
About 3,500 donors gave blood through the Mariners.
Popups have been held at Cheney Stadium, the Museum of Flight, Bellevue Art Museum and dozens of other venues including Tacoma Art Museum this week.
Inside the community meeting room at TAM on Tuesday, Sara Inveen of Tacoma was partway through her donation. It was her first time at a pop-up event.
“I’m working from home, and I have time on my hands and figured it was a way I could do something productive ... To help help out the greater good,” she said.
The last time she donated — a year ago — was at a blood drive held at UPS.
Unlike typical blood drives, pop-ups require appointments. Those can be made online.
Donor Molly Morris of Gig Harbor was making her first donation at a pop-up event Tuesday. Like Inveen, her last donation was a blood drive. She appreciated the appointment process.
“It just happened to work on my schedule,” Morris said. “It’s not far and I could get over here and run an errand. It was convenient and you can do your part.”
While Bailey has more than 20 years in the health care industry, he was less than a year working in the blood donation business when the pandemic hit. Until then, he was focused on getting his industry in line with the digital world in a bid to attract younger people who donate blood in lower numbers compared with older people.
“We have very high blood donation rates for the baby boomers,” Bailey said. “We have relatively low donation rates for Generation X.”
Bailey is a Gen Xer himself.
“They’re not stepping into the shoes of the boomers,” he said. “And so, nationally, there’s routine blood shortages.”
Bailey thinks the model of partnering with community institutions has forever been altered.
“We’re going to stay with appointment only,” Bailey said. “And we’re going to stay with the pop-ups for absolutely as long as possible because we actually think it delivers a better experience for everybody.”
Appoint-only allows Bloodworks to better forecast inventory and shortages.
The ability to stay in one place for multiple days and move heavy equipment less often has had unexpected benefit: reduced workplace injuries, Bailey said.
COVID-fighting plasma
The collection of convalescent plasma has been a byproduct of the pop-ups, Bailey said. Plasma is the fluid that transports blood cells through the body. If collected from recovered COVID-19 patients, it can contain antibodies to the disease and help people recover faster.
Bloodworks is a national leader in the collection of convalescent plasma, Bailey said. It has produced more than 6,000 units to date.
“We have not used that many in the Pacific Northwest,” Bailey said. “Any extra, we ship to a national stockpile instead and that gets distributed nationally.”
Where to find a local pop-up
For a full list and to sign up: bloodworksnw.org/donate/find-mobile-blood-drive or call 800-398-7888.
▪ Yelm Community Center, Yelm: Feb. 5-6 and May 14-15.
▪ Black Hills High School, Tumwater: Feb. 9-10.
▪ Timberline High School, Lacey: Feb. 18-19.
▪ Parkland Fellowship Hall, Tacoma: Feb. 22-23.
▪ South Sound Manor, Olympia: March 2-3.
▪ Church of Jesus Christ, Sumner: Mar. 17-19.
▪ Former hot yoga studio, 10418 156th St. E., Suite 103, Puyallup: Mar. 24-25.
▪ First Baptist Church, Puyallup: Apr. 9-10.
▪ Community Recreation Center, Gig Harbor: Apr. 21-22.
This story was originally published February 5, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
