Blood Emergency Readiness Corps Marks One-Year Anniversary

Press Release

PIEDMONT, S.C. (September 13, 2022) The Blood Connection (TBC) is joining blood centers across the U.S. in celebrating the one-year anniversary of the nation’s first emergency blood response team. The Blood Emergency Readiness Corps (BERC) was founded in 2021 to ensure the blood supply is ready in the event of a natural disaster or mass casualty event. TBC has sent blood products three times in the past year to support events nationally. TBC is calling on local groups and organizations to join our corps of disaster relief blood drive sponsors to maintain the local blood supply and prepare for potential disasters.

Prior to the founding of BERC, many local centers faced widespread blood shortages during COVID. By creating BERC, these blood centers help ensure blood will always be ready and available if needed nationwide, without delays and uncertainty.

TBC, which serves hospitals across the Carolinas, Georgia, has been activated to send blood units following two separate emergencies: the deadly tornado outbreak in the Midwest in December 2021 and the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas in May 2022. While not on-call the week of a deadly school shooting in Oxford, Michigan, TBC also stepped up to provide blood products to the local blood center during that emergency.

“Although it’s heart-wrenching every time there’s a mass casualty event, it’s comforting to know The Blood Connection can do something to help,” said Delisa English, President and CEO of The Blood Connection. “TBC has been activated twice already, which has only made it more clear to us that being a member of BERC is crucial. From many miles away, BERC allows our blood donors to tangibly help a community in crisis.”

Originally made up of seven partner blood centers, in the last year BERC has grown to 33 blood centers in 41 states that have committed to reserving additional units of blood on a rotating, “on call” schedule. During a blood center’s on-call weeks, the additional blood units are held in reserve, ready to be shipped in response if a critical-need scenario should arise within the BERC network.

The Blood Connection is “on call” again the week of September 26 – October 2.

“Our members are committed to helping save lives within their own communities, but we know emergencies can arise at any time and outstrip the local blood supply,” said Nelson Hellwig, CEO of the Alliance for Community Transfusion Services and Administrator of the BERC Program. “BERC provides an emergency reserve of blood units, available to be shipped at a moment’s notice. This allows our members to respond to the needs of their communities and provides essential support whenever a crisis might occur.”

Emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time. It is imperative that community members donate blood whenever eligible to ensure there is a stable blood supply, should one of these crisis events occur.  TBC is looking for community groups, companies, and organizations to host blood drives and spread awareness about the importance of blood donations.  To get more information about hosting a blood drive with TBC, go to thebloodconnection.org/host. To find a location to donate blood, go to thebloodconnection.org/donate.

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