UC Donations Help Hoxworth Meet Winter's Challenge

The harsh winter of 2013–2014 had a number of negative effects in Greater Cincinnati, including reduced blood donations. But the University of Cincinnati came through in record-breaking fashion for Hoxworth Blood Center.

The Winter UC All Campus Blood Drive in January 2014 produced 1,302 life-saving blood products, an all-time record for a UC drive, according to figures provided by Hoxworth. The figure represented a 73  percent increase over the 751 products donated in the winter 2013 drive.

In fact, all three UC All Campus Blood Drives over the past academic year produced new highs in blood products successfully donated, Hoxworth officials say.

The spring drive, held this month, yielded 945 donated products, and the fall drive in September 2013 yielded 1,167 products. The academic year total was 3,414 products, well above the previous high of 2,536 products in 2011-12.

"The harsh winter weather of 2014 negatively impacted blood collection,” says Ronald Sacher, MD, Hoxworth’s director and a professor of medicine and pathology at the UC College of Medicine. "The record-breaking success at the University of Cincinnati ensured that we had enough blood products for patients in our area hospitals.

"We are very grateful for the generosity of the students, faculty and staff and President Santa Ono for their participation and support of our mission to save lives through blood donation.”

Hoxworth Blood Center was founded in December 1938 by Paul Hoxworth, MD, and serves 30 hospitals in 17 counties in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana.