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