Blood Drives Part of the Culture at Pacific Surgical Institute

When Nancy Stone organized the first blood drive at Pacific Surgical Institute in 2011, she thought it would be a one-time thing. Instead, that first event spurred her to make blood drives a regular part of the culture at PSI.
 
Stone, who works at Pacific Imaging Center at the PSI complex at 625 9th Avenue, is the force behind 27 drives that have netted 591 donations. She hasn’t had to look far for motivation.
 
“I see people dropping in because they saw the bus or the signs and want to donate. At the end of the day, I think about the fact that one donation has the ability to save three lives, and I am inspired.”
 
She’s been fortunate to have a built-in pool of donors at PSI. Employees at Longview Orthopedic Associates, Pacific Imaging Center, Longview Urology, Pacific Surgical Center, and Longview Physical & Sports Therapy always show when the Red Cross comes calling. As an added bonus, most employers in the building are willing to keep their people on the clock while they are donating. “My job is to hunt them down and sign them up,” Stone said.
 
Despite the strong support from PSI staff, Stone noted that more than half the donors are community members. “They are essential to our success,” she said.
 
The Red Cross provides the opportunity for organizations like PSI to focus their blood drives. “We’ve hosted several that benefit local kids who are fighting cancer. For each donation given, that child receives an equal number of transfusions at no cost. It’s a fantastic program.”