Teaching Techniques to Save Lives
When seconds matter, preparation saves lives.
Last Friday, we partnered with Fox High School and Stop the Bleed in St. Louis to spotlight two powerful ways to help trauma patients: controlling bleeding at the scene and making sure blood is available when they reach the hospital.
While students and staff rolled up their sleeves to donate, Stop the Bleed representatives shared life saving techniques for responding to severe bleeding after an injury. Immediate action and a strong blood supply work hand in hand.
SSM Health Trauma Injury Prevention Outreach Coordinator Haley Strebler gave a demonstration for KSDK 5 On Your Side of the Stop the Bleed training they are conducting for students and staff in many St. Louis area school districts.
The partnership comes at an important time in Missouri. As of January 1, the Stop the Bleed Act requires all public and charter schools to install traumatic blood loss kits in high traffic areas and train staff to use them. Schools across the St. Louis region are already receiving training and equipping their buildings with the required kits.
Student Leaders Put the "Heart" in Heartland
Student leadership was on full display Tuesday at Heartland Community College.
The Hawks ImpactLife blood club hosted their inaugural blood drive Tuesday in Normal, IL, with the Black Student Union, creating a powerful collaboration that merged immediate community health needs with long-term awareness.
Students helped save lives while learning about sickle cell disease, a condition that disproportionately impacts the Black community and requires frequent blood transfusions from diverse donors.
Kennedy Gordon, representing the Black Student Union, was on hand to help bridge the gap between donation and education: "For many students, this is their first time connecting the dots between blood donation and sickle cell disease. When the blood club invited us to sponsor this drive, I knew we had to say yes. This partnership lets us show our campus that Black student leadership isn't just about advocacy, it's about action. Watching our classmates learn why diverse blood donors matter while rolling up their sleeves proves that when we combine our voices, we can literally save lives in our own community."
DONOR FOR LIFE: THE NEW FREQUENCY REWARDS PROGRAM
Giving blood just got even more rewarding.
We launched our new Donor Frequency Rewards Program, making it easier than ever to save lives and earn something back along the way.
Every non-deferred donation you make in 2026 now counts toward rewards. The more you give, the more you earn. Whether it's whole blood or platelets, each completed donation moves you closer to gift cards, Rewards Store points, or even a charitable donation through our Good Giving program.
Show up. Roll up your sleeve. Make an impact. Then choose how you'd like to be rewarded.
IMD: Behind the Scenes with Cerise Leachman
If the hospital is open, we're open.
That's the promise behind our Inventory Management & Distribution team, featured in a new video with Cerise Leachman (Supervisor, IMD).
Cerise has been with us for 18 years, helping lead a team that supports 40+ hospitals and ambulance services, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With blood products on strict timelines and temperature requirements, their work never stops.
Huge thanks to Cerise and every IMD team member who keeps lifesaving care moving behind the scenes, day and night!