LifeStream joins National Blood Emergency Readiness Corps

LifeStream Blood Bank in partnership with Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Board of Supervisors Chair Dawn Rowe, and Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. announced LifeStream’s entry into the national Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC) at an ARMC press conference on July 21.

BERC is a group of more than 30 blood centers across the nation who commit to joining together to be prepared for any mass transfusion disasters that may strike. These blood centers commit to collecting extra units on a rotating “on call” schedule to create an available reserve supply of blood for emergency needs. This helps ensure immediate transfusion needs can be met for local hospitals during a mass disaster.

BERC had its first activation on June 16, when LifeStream was asked to respond to a deadly tornado that struck parts of Texas and Oklahoma. The tornado killed three people and injured over 50. LifeStream sent the requested six Type-O units of blood product, helping the Oklahoma Blood Institute and several of its patients at three different hospitals.

“Hospitals like ARMC have a continuous need for blood, especially Type O-negative blood, which is the most common blood type used for transfusions when the blood type is unknown,” said Chair of ARMC’s Department of Surgery, Dev GnanaDev, M.D. “Please donate blood. Blood is urgently needed every day for routine surgeries as well as traumas.”

BERC ensures blood will be ready from member blood centers and available if needed. If ARMC is facing a large-scale disaster and LifeStream does not have enough blood products on its shelves, LifeStream can request products from fellow BERC blood centers.

LifeStream provides blood products and services to more than 80 Southern California hospitals. To fulfill patient needs, LifeStream must collect 500 blood donations daily. Individuals may sign up to donate at https://www.lstream.org/.

ARMC is a 456-bed university-affiliated teaching hospital licensed by the State of California Department of Public Health, operated by San Bernardino County, and governed by the Board of Supervisors. It is ARMC’s mission, in an environment of learning and innovation, to serve our diverse community with high-quality, compassionate care. The hospital, located on a 70-acre campus in Colton, Calif, operates the Edward G. Hirschman Burn Center, a level I trauma center, a comprehensive stroke center, a behavioral health center, and five primary care centers. ARMC also provides more than 40 outpatient specialty care services. ARMC is helping to achieve the Countywide Vision by addressing the community’s wellness and educational needs. ARMC is the primary teaching hospital for the California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM). The University welcomed its first class of students in 2018. For more information on CUSM, visit https://www.cusm.org. For more information about ARMC, visit https://www.arrowheadregional.org.

Additional County Update News – July 28, 2023