University of Iowa AirCare is a partner for life
On Thursday, we partnered with University of Iowa AirCare to for a blood drive inside the AirCare hangar at the Davenport Municipal Airport! Donors learned about the emergency transport and specialty ambulance services provided by UI Health Care, as well as the UI Health Care AirCare helicopter!
AirCare was the first emergency medical services (EMS) organization in the Quad Cities region equipped for pre-hospital transfusion, a rapidly growing practice at the intersection of emergency medical service and transfusion medicine. When EMS teams respond to a bleeding patient, immediate action is crucial. Delivering a needed blood transfusion on scene or while en route to the hospital can significantly impact a patient’s survival.
“Bleeding from uncontrolled hemorrhage is a leading cause of preventable death among trauma patients,” said Dr. Daniela Hermelin, Chief Medical Officer. “Every minute counts in these situations. A pre-hospital transfusion — the delivery of blood products by trained first responders before a patient reaches the hospital — can significantly improve survival, reduce hospital length of stay, and decrease overall blood use once patients arrive at the emergency department.”
Learn more about AirCare with these stories from KWQC and WQAD.
Cell Therapy in Earth City
Big things are happening in Earth City as we help advance cutting-edge therapies.
On Wednesday, our team completed a successful leukopak collection, providing important starting material used in cell therapy and advanced medical research.
A leukopak is a special collection of white blood cells, and those cells are often the very first ingredient in developing new treatments that give patients more hope and more options in the future.
It is work like this that shows how we are leading the way in advancing medicine and changing lives.
Halloween at ImpactLife
We loved celebrating spooky season with all of you and your creative costumes. Here are some pictures you all sent last Friday, celebrating one of the most fun days of the year!
A 'Wicked' Good 7 Years
Every birthday is a victory for Marissa, and she is sharing that joy by helping others realize that blood is medicine.
On Thursday, we joined the Marquis family to celebrate Marissa, who is thriving after beating leukemia. She loves staying busy, and her favorite musical right now is Wicked. She even got to see the Broadway show in Peoria this year.
For the seventh year in a row, her family hosted a blood drive in her honor, turning her birthday into a chance to help other kids who rely on blood throughout treatment. Donors filled the day with smiles and support, making this year’s birthday drive a huge success.
We are grateful to the Marquis family for continuing this lifesaving tradition. And we are cheering Marissa on as she keeps growing, dreaming big, and enjoying every moment.
Recipient to 5x Donor
“I just think about how people donated blood to allow me to survive. I am healthy and able to do that now, so I might as well do that for babies in the NICU that I hope to serve as a physician someday.”
At our blood drive with Saint Louis University School of Medicine last Thursday, first year medical student Katia Watkins reached a goal she has carried with her for a long time. She has now donated blood five times, more than the number of transfusions she received as a newborn.
Katia spent three months in the NICU at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and underwent multiple surgeries before the age of four. Blood donation helped save her life and now she is proudly giving that same hope to others.
With dreams of caring for pediatric and neonatal patients, Katia is already supporting the very mission she hopes to serve throughout her career. We are grateful to have her as a partner in saving lives.