Top 5 Ways to Optimize Your Blood Drive Van

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. is in need of blood and or platelets. This is why so many medical communities are looking for new ways to increase blood donations. One method for boosting blood donations is to host blood drives throughout a community.

Rather than requiring donors to drive to a specific location, these events directly bring the blood donation process to businesses, churches, schools, and office parks. This makes donating simple and efficient, increasing the number of people willing and able to donate.

To host blood drives, many clinics opt to invest in a blood drive van. These mobile units are designed with all the necessary equipment to collect blood donations safely and efficiently. And while most blood drive vans are designed with similar features, there are several ways teams can optimize the space available in the van to ensure the best donation process possible.

The following are the top ways to optimize the space for medical teams interested in creating a blood drive van.

#1: Look for Streamlined Organization Options

In a blood drive van, space is limited. This makes it imperative to keep the area organized and free of debris. This makes it more efficient for medical personnel to collect donations and creates a safer workspace with less risk of tripping or contaminating supplies.

To create a streamlined workspace, consider the following organization options:

• Drawers built into seating areas.
• Upper-level cabinets with storage compartments designed for specific medical supplies.
• Dedicated refrigeration storage explicitly designed for blood drives.
• A separate area for employee breaks with built-in shelving for food and drinks.
• Bench seating with built-in storage space.
• Exterior storage space built into the sides of the vehicle.

#2: Test Out the Workflow Before Hosting a Drive

During the procurement process, you have control over choosing the layout and design of your blood drive van. However, no matter how carefully you plan the vehicle’s layout, the odds are good that you will still run into a few hiccups when the donation process begins.

Rather than waiting until a blood drive event to unearth these issues, test out the workflow ahead of time. In fact, it can be wise to give the unit a dry run while you are still working on your organization and equipment design. This will allow you and your medical team to discover where there might be inefficiencies in the workflow.

In some cases, a simple change in the layout or the addition of equipment can be enough to remedy the problem. Discovering this ahead of time will help ensure that your first real blood drive goes smoothly.

#3: Utilize Outdoor Space When Possible

Due to the limited space in a blood drive van, try to utilize outdoor space when possible. For example, rather than screening patients inside the bloodmobile, set up the screening area outside under tents.

You can also set up the patient waiting area outside to help cut down on how many people are inside the van at any given moment.

Invest in quality tents and foldable tables and chairs to make the most of outdoor space. This can make it easy to quickly set up in any space, turning vacant parking lots and open areas into an add-on to your blood drive van.

In colder weather, look for ways to use indoor spaces to your advantage. For example, many office parks will have vacant units or extra conference rooms where you can expand your drive.

#4: Focus on Donor Comfort

One of the most important facets of your blood drive van is the comfort it offers to your donors. For this reason, one of the best investments you can make when optimizing the van’s layout and design is to improve your patients’ comfort.

Think through the entire donation process from beginning to end. How can you help donors feel more relaxed and at ease? These suggestions will add comfort to the donation process:

• Improve privacy during the screening process.
• Invest in upgraded seats with comfortable padding.
• Add an area where donors can eat a snack and recoup after donation.
• Build-in storage for goodie bags to hand out to donors as a thank you.

#5: Work with a Professional Design Team

The best way to choose the ideal blood drive van is to work with an experienced team. Your medical team knows the ins and outs of the donation process and what is required to ensure an efficient workflow. But your team might not have the expertise to understand how to translate this into a blood drive van layout.

This is where an experienced specialty vehicle team can help. A professional that has worked with numerous bloodmobile designs before can bring their expertise to the table. These professionals can help you incorporate all the equipment and supplies necessary into an efficient and comfortable workflow for all parties involved.

Contact Summit Bodyworks to Optimize Your Blood Drive Van

If you are ready to add a blood drive van to your medical fleet, our team is here to help. At Summit Bodyworks, we have years of experience helping medical professionals choose the right solutions for mobile units.

Want to see what we can deliver? Check out one of our recent blood drive van builds. With comfortable patient seating, built-in storage options, and an eye-catching body wrap, this bloodmobile is equipped with everything the team at St. Mary’s needs to effectively and efficiently collect blood donations.

To learn more about how we can help your team, reach out today. We are ready to discuss the variety of options available for bloodmobiles.

Established in Colorado, Summit Bodyworks is on the forefront of innovation and customer service for vehicle manufacturing and upfitting. Whether you’re looking for all-electric, hybrid, or gas-powered options, Summit Bodyworks is your one-stop-shop for design, manufacturing, and upfitting of trucks, vans, specialty vehicles, and fleets.