Bloodworks 101

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If you're a platelet donor with Bloodworks Northwest, we can't thank you enough. But as you sit there and make your lifesaving donation, have you ever thought of the machine at your side, just clicking along, separating the lifesaving components in your blood? Well, Lori Harada and Carly Newton from Terumo, the maker of the machine sure have. A while back, Bloodworks 101 producer, John Yeager spoke with Lori and Carly for today's edition of Bloodworks 101.

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Ohio's Al Whitney is 88 years old and in the blood banking industry, he's become a bit of a legend. Why? Well, as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, that's because Al Whitney is a man on a mission to save lives.  

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Bloodworks is in the middle of our fifth annual Music’s In Our Blood campaign, seeking 10,000 new and returning donors by the end of the year. And celebrating a few of our regular donors! Sam Sitzman has been donating blood since he turned 16 — and playing the cello since he was three. What do blood donation and playing the cello have in common? They both get better with regular practice.

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If you're a regular Bloodworks Northwest donor, you probably get calls from our staff at the Contact Center. Ever wonder who's on the other end of the line? Well, Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager did. And wait till you hear some of the stories the woman in charge of the Center has to tell. 

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While platelets were the focus of Dr. Sherrill Slichter's research at Bloodworks, patients were always at the heart. Dr. Theresa Nester and Dr. Moritz Stolla discuss about the clinical implications of her work.

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Dr. Sherrill Slichter joined Bloodworks in 1970, and over four and a half decades, her platelet research changed the face of transfusion medicine around the world. In this episode of Bloodworks 101, her colleagues Dr. Theresa Nester, Dr. Moritz Stolla, and Gayle Teramura reflect on Dr. Slichter's research and legacy.

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The "We Give Blood Drive" is the brainchild of Abbott Laboratories, an American multinational medical devices and health care company and the Big Ten conference to promote blood donation by students, alumni, and fans of Big Ten schools. The campaign is now underway with Big Ten schools vying for a $1 million grant to advance student or community health by registering the greatest number of donors among Big Ten institutions across the country during the current Big Ten football season. 

Recently, Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager s...

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At Bloodworks, we like to say that platelets are "golden." Why? well, as producer John Yeager tells us in the special ENCORE EDITION of Bloodworks 101, it's because they have such an impact on the people who receive them. But it's also because of the time and sacrifice it takes to produce them. For this edition, John spoke to Bloodworks' Senior Product Strategy Manager Kyle Boynton. 

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As a fitness buff, Randy Cantrell knew he wanted to do something big to celebrate turning 70. And as a lifelong blood donor, he also wanted raise money for Bloodworks. Bloodworks 101 co-producer Helen Pitlick joined Randy for a walk around Green Lake in Seattle as part of his epic birthday fundraiser.

Got a creative idea for a fundraiser? Our Development Office would love to hear from you: learn more.

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As a tech-savvy marketer, blood donor Mike Burlin likes to automate his donations as much as possible. Which hasn’t always been the case: after his dad was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), blood and stem cell donation were often on Mike’s mind. Here's a special ENCORE EDITION of Bloodworks 101, hoted by Helen Pitlick.

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For many high schoolers, donating blood is a rite of passage, something cool you can do when you turn 16. For Grayson Goodman, it's more like a calling: blood donation means a lot to the Goodman family. After all, donated blood gave Grayson's dad, Hunter, more years with his family. Here's a special ENCORE EDITION of Bloodworks 101, hosted by Helen Pitlick. 

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When you walk into a Bloodworks Northwest Donor Center, mobile drive or pop-up center to donate, you never know the difference you can make. Ridgefield, Washington's Joshua Bell has first-hand knowledge of that. And as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out in this special ENCORE EDITION, according to Bell, that donation can make the biggest difference in the world.

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Today is the last day of our "Give Blood Rescue a Human" promotional campaign.  Over the past few months, it's celebrated the powerful bond between people and their pets and the lifesaving power of blood donation. Today, Bloodworks 101 Producer John Yeager introduces us to a amazing platelet donor in the in the Portland area who enjoys that powerful bond between her and her dog, Tigger. But she also knows firsthand, how blood donation can save lives. For Sharon Sferrazza, it's personal. 

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What do you know about AI? As you're probably aware, there's way more to AI than what you get from ChatGPT. In fact, as the team at Bloodworks Research can tell you, the potential for machine learning to one day save lives is very real. Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager spoke with Dr. Jose Lopez, Bloodworks Chief Scientific Officer, along with Gabe Richman, Founder & CEO of Omic, a drug discovery and AI company, on how we’re working together to advance treatments for diseases that impact many of...

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This has been a big week for Cal Raleigh, "The Big Dumper," the All-Star catcher from the Seattle Mariners. Not only did he star in this year's All-Star Game in Atlanta but he won the Home Run Derby, beating out some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball. Last year, Cal was part of our "Young Bloods" blood donation awareness campaign. So, Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager thought it would be fun to listen to Cal's thoughts on catching, his team and the lifesaving practice of...

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They call the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the "100 Deadliest Days," for a very good reason. Well, for several very good reasons. Today, Bloodworks Northwest's Co-Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kristin Alcorn spells it out for Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager.  

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All summer, Bloodworks Northwest has been reaching out to pet owners through our Give Blood Rescue a Human campaign. Today, you're going to meet a young woman named Leah Penney from the Neko Cat Cafe on Seattle's Capitol Hill. Leah has a very personal reason for why he's a part of the campaign. In fact, as Bloodworks 101 Producer John Yeager found out, if it weren't for blood donors ... Well, we'll let Leah tell you that part of the story. 

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There's a common misconception that when you adopt a pet, you're saving that animal's life. It's a one-way street, right? Well, at the Portland Humane Society, Jim Nelson can tell you that pets give us so much in return. On this edition of Bloodworks 101, Jim and Oregon Humane Society's Laura Klink tell producer John Yeager about that strong bond between people and their pets that's such a big part of our Give Blood Rescue a Human campaign. 

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When something at a Blood Center needs maintenance, you can't just slap some duct tape on it and call it good — the FDA does not like that. That's where Cassy Alaire comes in. Cassy and the Quality Control team at Bloodworks ensure that all of our equipment meets the rigorous standards needed to collect blood for local patients. 

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June 14 is World Blood Donor Day, and while giving blood looks a little different, no matter where in the world you are donating, much is the same, too. There’s always a need, no matter what language you speak or what snacks you eat in the canteen. In this episode, you'll hear from two donors covering three continents. 

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June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month. And there are few people moree aware of gun violence than Tualatin City Councillor Maria Reyes. When the City Council met a while back, an official proclamation was read, honoring Bloodworks Northwest. On these occasions, there's usually a lot of pomp and bluster. Official proclamations can often go on and on. But little did those attending the meeting know, this official proclamation hit Councilor Maria Reyes hard. As she tells Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager, that's because this proclamation took...

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What do you do when your child starts acting "differently"? When you just know something's wrong. That was the grim prospect Tigard, Oregon's Anna Kervers faced a few years back when her son, Theo was diagnosed with leukemia. Anna shared her story with Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager. We're calling it "When Your Life Just Stops."  

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Right now, Bloodworks Northwest is embarking upon a new awareness campaign we're calling "Give Blood, Rescue a Human." It emphasizes the powerful bond between people and their pets and the lifesaving act of blood donation. If you want evidence of that powerful bond, just ask Dylan Smith and Jake Cole, both who work for Bloodworks Northwest in the Portland area. That's what Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager did. But wait til you hear the answers that he got. 

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It seems like everyone has a reason why they donate blood. For Brandon Macz, with Seattle Humane, it's personal. Bloodworks 101 Producer John Yeager caught up with Brandon as he was sharing his story during his recent blood donation at the Bloodworks Seattle Central Donor Center on Seattle's First Hill. 

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Susan Gallotte may not have donated gallons upon gallons, but what she gives is perhaps the most intense type of blood donation of all: mobilized blood forming stem cells for research. For Susan, it all goes back to her mom and her fight against cancer.

Learn more about mobilized blood forming stem cells

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In a couple weeks, Bloodworks Northwest will launch a new campaign that celebrates the powerful bond between people and their pets and the lifesaving power of blood donation. You'll hear plenty about that as the summer approaches. But today, Bloodworks 101 Producer John Yeager introduces us to a amazing platelet donor in the in the Portland area who enjoys that powerful bond between her and her dog, Tigger. But she also knows firsthand, how blood donation can save lives. For Sharon Sferrazza, it's personal. 

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This podcast is designed to inspire you to donate either time, money of blood. That's what we say every episode. Well today, you're going to meet someone who devotes a lot of time to the lifesaving work done here at Bloodworks. Her name is Adelyn Emil and as Bloodworks 101 Producer John Yeager found out, the volunteer work she does for Bloodworks is designed to prepare bystanders to step in and help accident or shooting victims in the precious moments before EMTs arrive.   

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For many high schoolers, donating blood is a rite of passage, something cool you can do when you turn 16. For Grayson Goodman, it's more like a calling: blood donation means a lot to the Goodman family. After all, donated blood gave Grayson's dad, Hunter, more years with his family. 

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Persistence pays off. Want proof? Just ask Dr. Joanne Thambuswamy, a persistent person if there ever was one. But she's also a platelet donor. And as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager tells us, Joanne is now planning to go somewhere amazing simply because she refused to give up.  

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As anyone who's seen an idea become a piece of legislation and they'll tell you it takes a lot of work by a lot of people, especially in deeply divided political times like these. But as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, there's action in the Washington State Legislature right now that has broad appeal across party lines. John spoke to Bloodworks' Director of Government Affairs, Juan Cotto about two bills that look pretty promising.

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At Bloodworks, we like to say that platelets are "golden." Why? well, as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, it's because they have such an impact on the people who receive them. But it's also because of the time and sacrifice it takes to produce them. For this edition, John spoke to Bloodworks' Senior Product Strategy Manager Kyle Boynton. 

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As a tech-savvy marketer, blood donor Mike Burlin likes to automate his donations as much as possible. Which hasn’t always been the case: after his dad was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), blood and stem cell donation were often on Mike’s mind. 

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We often think of blood transfusion in units, or pints of blood. But that's not always the case. Sometimes it can be just a matter of a few tablespoons as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out when he paid a visit to the Library Director at the North Plains Public Library near Portland. 

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We've all heard the expression, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Well, Seattle's Rebecca Kasper knows what can happen when you apply that expression to say ... the attempt to donate blood. And as she told Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager, what happened when Rebecca refused to give up is something that she'll never forget. 

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The new federal administration has issued a number of wide-ranging executive orders and policy changes that directly impact the Bloodworks Research Institute in Seattle. Just how important is the work done at the Research Institute? Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager spoke to Dr. Jose Lopez, the Research Institute's Chief Scientific Officer. 

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By day, Lynette Manning is a Regional Manager for Bloodworks Northwest. By night? That's a different story. That's because Lynette is a rising star on the national comedy scene. Where does she get her material? Well, as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, for Manning it's just "everyday stuff." 

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When the Tualatin City Council met recently during National Blood Donor Month, an official proclamation was read, honoring Bloodworks Northwest. On these occasions, there's usually a lot of pomp and bluster. Official proclamations can often go on and on. But little did those attending the meeting know, this official proclamation hit Councilor Maria Reyes hard. As she tells Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager, that's because this proclamation took Maria back to the worst day of her life but also to the ninety people who were there for...

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February is Black History Month, a time set aside to celebrate achievements by Black Americans in this country. But as Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager found out, it's also a time to take a good hard look at how the blood banking industry has failed to reach out to this community in a meaningful and long-lasting way. That failure is reflected in the low numbers of black donors who come through the doors at Bloodworks Northwest Donor Centers. In this special BONUS EDITION of Bloodworks 101 from two...

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This week, Bloodworks Northwest has been forced to declare a "Code Red" regarding the state of the blood supply in our region. As Bloodworks 101 producer found out in his talk with Bloodworks President & CEO Curt Bailey, there are many reasons we find ourselves here and the way out of the woods may not come quickly.   

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To say we live in politically polarized times would be an understatement. But there are issues where conservatives and liberals can find common ground. Blood donation is one of them and it's Juan Cotto's job as Bloodworks' Director for Government Affairs to bring Washington State's politicians together on this lifesaving issue. On today's edition of Bloodworks 101, Juan shares his 2025 legislative agenda with Bloodworks 101 producer John Yeager. 
What's the response when Cotto and his colleagues in the Northwest Blood Coalition approach lawmakers in Olympia? Well, Cotto s...