Since its invention during WWII by Dr. Charles Drew, blood-collecting vehicles have been paramount to increasing the supply of blood available to medical facilities. Phillip Martin, an account manager for Stanford Blood Center who works primarily to organize drives with organizations and companies in the Bay Area, explained how bloodmobiles increase donor numbers and willingness to donate. “People will tell you the convenience of the blood drive is big determination if they give or not,” he says. “A blood center can be around the corner of your house, but you just drive right past it. If it’s at work, and you’re being encouraged to do it, people are more likely to take an hour of their day to come give some blood.”
Created within the Stanford School of Medicine, the Blood Center was most specifically created to meet transfusion needs within the Health Care Center and the Children’s Hospital. Now, bloodmobiles can supply blood nationwide, helping backfill other hospitals that may be struggling. “When there’s a need, the call goes out. Whoever has the supply and the blood type available fulfills that need,” says Martin.
“Every 2 seconds someone in the US needs blood,” says Michael Bustamante, Senior Manager - CQE. “Especially with me being O positive, I know my blood can go towards helping a lot of people. It’s great how Credo makes it so easy for it to happen.”
The three bloodmobiles of the Blood Center service a two-hour radius around Palo Alto and can be set up almost anywhere. “The bloodmobile only needs a flat surface and a bathroom,” Martin laughs. “During the pandemic, I worked with a lot of hotels, and they’d just let us park the bus in the parking lot.”
However, with companies opening back up and a lot of work returning to in-person, Martin describes his experience working with companies in the area. “Many companies are opening up their doors and their parking lots – they're allowing us access to their employees and trusting us with them,” he says. “Without them opening up, our mission becomes almost impossible.”
The Blood Center aligns with Credo’s commitment to supporting the communities around us and being a global citizen. As part of our Credo Cares initiative, this blood drive and all upcoming events will support local organizations and causes offering our employees direct opportunities to give back to the community. Thank you to all our donors and the Stanford Blood Center for giving us this opportunity to make an impact!
