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blood supply

18

SEPT / OCT 2015

I 

Healthcare Journal of baton rouge  

Because the Baton Rouge area has five

blood donor centers, sometimes there is

competition among the different centers

for the limited donor base in the commu-

nity. For the most part, however, the centers

work together for a united cause—maintain-

ing the blood supply for Baton Rouge and

other Louisiana communities.

Spreading the Word

For now, it is the job of these blood centers

and healthcare providers to informpatients

and potential donors about the importance

of blood donations and keep a steady blood

supply for the community.

“A lot of times people say the reason why

15%

they have never donated blood is because

they were never asked to donate,”said Lan-

glois. “You have to ask someone to donate.

People don’t just think to do it on their own.”

This includes educating the general pub-

lic as well as young people. Blood donations

fromhigh school students make up about 15

percent of the nation’s blood supply, accord-

ing to David Gremillion, director of blood

donor services for Our Lady of the Lake’s

Blood Donor Center. The Blood Donor Cen-

ter is also working to recruit high school stu-

dents through initiatives such as providing

a red cord for graduation when students

donate three times before they graduate.

Highlighting the importance of

maintaining the blood supply by demon-

strating its ability to save lives is one of

best solutions blood centers have found to

inspire the Baton Rouge area to give back

to their community.

“If you can connect that donor to patient

needs, you complete that circuit, and when

you complete that circuit, it just makes

sense,”said Gremillion. “Time becomes less

of an issue than the need. We do that well in

generating a highly motivated donor base

that’s willing to come back and do it again.” 

n

Blood donations from

high school

students

make up about 15 percent

of the nation’s blood supply...

David Gremillion

‘‘

If you can connect that donor to

patient needs, you complete that

circuit, and when you complete

that circuit, it just makes sense.”

1920s

1928

1930s

Grapefruit

Later known as the Hollywood

Diet, eating grapefruit with (or in some cases

for) every meal is meant to promote weight

loss. Indeed grapefruit has been shown to have

some appetite suppressing capabilities.

Light ‘em Up

In fairness, this was before the

Surgeon General’s warning, but smoking is recognized

and promoted as a way to curb one’s appetite. In 1925

The Lucky Strike cigarette brand launches the “Reach

for a Lucky instead of a sweet” campaign.

Are You Inuit?

Tougher than most

to follow due to lack of availability (and

palatability) of ingredients—the Inuit Diet

consists of all the caribou meat, raw fish,

and whale blubber you want.

e