Every two seconds someone in America needs blood. We all expect it to be there for us, but barely a fraction of those who can give do. Yet sooner or later, virtually all of us will face a time of great vulnerability in which we will need blood. And that time is all too often unexpected.

Monongahela Valley Hospital recognized the need to provide a stable blood supply in the region. To accomplish that goal its staff teamed up with the Red Cross to provide blood donation drives on its campus and at sites throughout the mid-Monongahela Valley.

In 2007, those efforts helped MVH achieve 159% of its goal for blood collections. MVH held five drives on its Carroll Township campus and then partnered with five businesses throughout the region to offer blood drives at those locations.

To show Red Cross appreciation, James E. Starr, CEO of the American Red Cross Blood Services, Greater Alleghenies Region, recently presented MVH with a special award of appreciation recognizing its efforts in increasing blood collections.

The Greater Alleghenies Region of Red Cross consists of 97 hospitals across 100 counties and MVH is the first to receive this award.

Starr said, “This is a great community partnership – two not-for-profit organizations working together to improve the health and wellness of a region. Our partnership is a crowning example of how a partnership like this should and does work.

“This effort demonstrates how an organization like MVH reaches beyond its walls and out into the community to energize other organizations to become involved in blood donation,” he said.

Clubs like the Rotary, Moose and Russian Club participated in the drives and businesses such as Eat ‘N Park donated as well.

Daniel F. Simmons, Senior Vice President and Treasurer, Monongahela Valley Hospital, supervised the MVH staff efforts.

“It’s amazing how many employees either donated blood or their time and effort to organize a donation drive,” he said.

“Without the assistance of the members of our Blood Drive committee, none of this would have been possible. This award exemplifies our staff commitment to the health and wellness of the area residents.

“It was our pleasure to partner with The Red Cross. That organization helps so many people during times of desperate need and they do it so well. They make blood donation such an easy and safe process,” he said.

The American Red Cross serves more than 3,000 hospitals around the United States delivering a wide range of high quality blood products and blood donor and patient testing services.