Mobile Medical
How a Bloodmobile Can Help Your Community
November 29, 2021
Bloodmobiles are specialty medical vehicles designed to make it easy to host blood drives from anywhere. Ranging from large bus-style builds to small vans, bloodmobiles are an important part of the medical system that helps save lives.
If your hospital, clinic, or blood bank is considering the addition of a bloodmobile to your fleet, the benefits to your community are immense. The following are the key ways in which a bloodmobile could help your community for years to come.
Meeting the Community’s Needs During a Blood Bank Shortage
According to the Red Cross, the blood supply has dropped to the lowest it has been since 2015. Citing a shortage throughout the pandemic and a surge in hospital demand, the Red Cross points to a large shortage across the nation.
For many communities, this shortage is being felt acutely. Many patients are dependant on blood donations. Without an increase in the blood supply, these people are put at higher risk.
This is where a bloodmobile can help a community immensely. By traveling to businesses, schools, and even homes, bloodmobiles can help increase the number of donations. Especially now, when people may be hesitant to donate at a hospital.
And, when you consider that each whole blood donation has the potential to save three people’s lives, the positive impact a bloodmobile can have on a community is priceless.
Inspiring New Donors
According to data gathered by the AABB, an international non-profit focused on transfusion medicine and cellular therapies, around 60% of blood donations are provided by those over the age of 40. As these loyal blood donors age, it places an increased need to inspire younger generations to step up and donate.
Here, bloodmobiles can play a vital role. By traveling to schools and universities, bloodmobiles can help educate younger generations about the incredible life-saving potential of giving blood.
Bloodmobiles will also help provide these younger generations with easy access to donating blood. Rather than requiring a drive across town or a visit to a local blood bank, a bloodmobile will offer convenience to new donors, helping build a lifelong habit of giving blood.
Statistically, blood banks rely on repeat donors. For example, in 2017, there were around 8 million blood donors in the US, and of this number, approximately 6 million were repeat donors.
In order to decrease blood shortages, communities need to begin investing now in creating lifelong donors out of younger generations.
Reaching Donors Unable or Hesitant to Travel to a Donation Center
As the data above indicates, the bulk of blood donors are part of an aging demographic. And, as these mainstay donors begin to face mobility concerns, donations are likely to drop.
This is where a bloodmobile can help ensure that those who are still willing to donate can do so. Bloodmobiles can visit assisted living communities, businesses, and office parks where older donors can quickly and easily donate without requiring travel that may be difficult or impossible.
And, as the pandemic has shown, these older donors are at higher risk when viruses spread through a community. Logically, during a spike in the flu or COVID-19, the elderly are then hesitant to travel to hospitals and other clinics because of the fear of contracting an illness.
A bloodmobile can travel to these donors, allowing them to continue to donate life-saving blood without requiring them to visit a medical facility.
Spreading Awareness About Updated Donation Requirements
Over the years, the requirements for donating blood have changed. As science has unearthed new information, and as blood testing has become increasingly accurate, many requirements of not being too old are no longer necessary.
However, as requirements have changed, the public’s knowledge of these changes has not always gone hand in hand. The end result is that there are whole groups of people who would love to donate, but falsely believe that they cannot.
With their ability to travel to numerous locations in any given week, bloodmobiles can help spread awareness about current donation requirements. They can pass out fliers, post signs, and talk to potential donors one-on-one about what it actually takes to give blood. This in turn can help increase the amount of blood available in a community by allowing those who are willing but once excluded, the chance to donate blood.
Providing Rural Communities with New Opportunity
In most cases, blood donation centers are located in major cities and towns. Smaller communities and outlying rural areas are often left out of the picture, which is unfortunate as many in these communities are more than willing to donate life-saving blood.
By traveling to rural communities, bloodmobiles can provide these members of the community with the chance to donate. For those who are without steady transportation, face financial concerns, or have time constraints, bloodmobiles make it convenient to donate. This can help everyone in the community as more people will be able to participate in keeping blood supplies high.
Talk to Summit Bodyworks About a Custom Bloodmobile Design
Bloodmobiles make it possible for medical teams to offer a life-saving service to their communities. If your medical team is considering the addition of a bloodmobile to your fleet, reach out to our team at Summit Bodyworks.
We can help you create a bloodmobile for your organization. Take a look at one of our recent builds for Advent Health. This bloodmobile was built to meet this medical team’s specific requirements. From comfortable seating for donors to built-in technology and equipment, the team at Advent Health uses this bloodmobile to reach more donors, leading to an increase in blood availability in their local community.
If you are interested in buying a bloodmobile, contact our team today to get started. We look forward to helping you contribute to a healthier, safer community.
