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Show Blood Banks Reciprocating A fully reciprocal agreement to honor each organizations blood credits was announced today by officials of the In-termountatn Red Cross Blood Center and Health Services Corporation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The plan has been under study for many months to overcome a nagging administrative problem of not having a donor's blood credits available always at the hospital where services are being performed. The agreement was signed today by Commissioner James O. Mason, M. D., of Health Services Corporation and by Harold B. Anstall, M. D., medical director of In-termountain Red Cross Blood Center. The physician leaders explained that while blood transfusion needs In the Mountain West have heretofore been generally satisfied by the existing system of blood banks sponsored by both HSC hospitals and the Red Cross, conditions are now changing. In the future, blood requirements are expected to swell, due to more complex hospital surgery being performed, and the population growth stimulating greater general health needs. As part of the new understanding a blood assurance program will be Introduced jointly by the HSC and IRCBC allowing church, employee, or dvic groups to bestow blood protection to their membership, by donation of blood on the ratio of one unit to 40 Insured members. This donation-payment will protect the organization for 12 months, after which it must be repeated. According to the physician spokesman, the Centralized Blood Services of Health Services Corporation will arrange for spaced, or phased donations during a specifically assigned two week period of the year for each group or pool to meet its annual quota. By spacing these donations throughout the year, it is expected that adequate amounts of blood will be maintained on hand at all times to meet the health requirements of the area's population. The Red Cross and its affiliated organization, will be full members of the program. The blood assurance program will start in Salt Lake County, but will fan out throughout the Mountain West, when experience has been gained and success of the pilot Implementation is guaranteed. All donations to the Blood Assurance Program for HSC hospitals will be made initially at the Latter-day Saints Hospital In Salt Lake City, joint headquarters of the centralized blood program. All donations for the Red Cross will continue to be made at their center located at 555 Foothill Boulevard and through the traveling bloodmobile. The most important provision of the new agreement, the spokesman stressed, provides for a transfer of previously donated blood credits or blood, regardless of where the advanced donation was made, thereby obviating the need to make additional donations to replace the used blood. Formerly, only limited reciprocity existed between the Red Cross Blood Bank and the hospitals managed by HSC. This resulted in the necessity of many large groups maintaining two separate blood pools. Ultimately, this plan could bring together all hospitals in the Mountain States area, including the most Important smaller hospitals throughout Utah, eastern Nevada, southernn Idaho and western Wyoming, into one cooperative system of blood procurement and supply. Then, the spokesman said many emergencies which frequently confront citizens of these lntermountain communities will be met more expeditiously by the backup of many more participating groups. Such a united effort is wholly In keeping with National Blood Policy and could form the foundation for a Regional Blood Center. |