TIMELY Access to blood is "lIFE AND DEATH," SAYS Senator Dick Durbin
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin has represented Illinoisans in Congress since 1983 and is a widely respected leader across the State. This week, he used his influence to encourage his constituents in central Illinois to book appointments for blood donation.
We were proud to show off the Springfield donor center for a tour and news conference on Monday. Sen. Durbin thanked donors and staff, and spent time talking with Larisa Rudolph, Donor Services Charge, about double red cell donations on the Alyx automated apheresis machine
After visiting with donors, Sen. Durbin spoke with media about the need for additional donations at this critical time of year. He was joined by Dr. Kenneth Guillotte, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Decatur Memorial Hospital.
“Timely access to blood can be the difference between life and death, especially in a medical emergency," Sen. Durbin said. "I want to thank the professionals at ImpactLife and along with the countless donors who come forward to help those in need.”
Unity and Opportunity at 2026 NCSL Legislative Summit
A meeting of the minds – and hearts!
We were proud to participate in the recent National Conference of State Legislatures Legislative Summit in Chicago, which brought together blood center leaders and policymakers from across the country. Our Chief Operating Officer Katie Marchik joined with seven other representatives of America's Blood Centers to discuss the essential role community blood centers play in maintaining a safe and reliable blood supply.
The Summit also featured the first-ever blood drive held at an NCSL event! More than 120 attendees registered to donate, resulting in the collection of 112 blood products. With the yearly summer slump presenting challenges for blood collection across the country, such generosity is more necessary than ever – and where better to find it than a meeting of community blood centers?
ABC also used the event to build support for four Council of States priorities: expanding prehospital blood use, protecting employee time for blood donation, advancing blood donor education in schools, and encouraging states to recognize January as Blood Donor Month. With strong interest from legislators across the country, we will continue working with state policymakers to turn that enthusiasm into action!
Competition For Community: The Quad Cities Corporate Games
A little competition goes a long way for the patients and communities we serve!
860 donations, three champions, and one blood drive challenge later, The Quad Cities Corporate Games wrapped up last week with plenty to celebrate! Congratulations to John Deere, Quad City Bank & Trust, and the Club Scouts - a team made up of Visit Quad Cities, The Tennis Club, and Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois - for taking home the top spots in their divisions.
The celebration also included a special recognition for our own Teresa Gottschalk, who was honored by the Corporate Games for her longtime commitment to the organization and her work to improve the health and well-being of our communities. Congratulations, Teresa, and thank you to every organization, team, and donor who helped make this year's challenge a lifesaving success!
Monarch EMS Performs its First Prehospital Transfusion
Our latest EMS partnership is already off to a lifesaving start!
Back in July, we announced that Monarch Fire Protection District, in St. Louis County, was the latest EMS group to get on board with our prehospital blood transfusion program. Monarch EMS personnel carry units of blood we provide out into the field when responding to trauma calls.
We've already begun changing lives. Within 72 hours of beginning the program, Monarch EMS provided its first unit of blood.
The recipient of the blood met all of Monarch's parameters for a transfusion, and Monarch Deputy Chief of EMS Nick Smith recounted that paramedics were surprised by the patient's quick recovery after receiving the blood. “Seeing that reaction from the patient to rebound physically was pretty remarkable,” Smith observed.
Currently, blood products are only available on Monarch's EMS Captain vehicle, but the district plans to expand it to every ambulance in the fleet. Now, with their first blood transfusion on the books, Deputy Chief Smith is optimistic about the future. “This is a lot of work up front and there's a lot of upkeep that goes on but there's no way that it's not worth it,” Smith said. We couldn't agree more: saving lives is worth every effort, and prehospital transfusion is the future of EMS care!