COVID19 HOSPITAL INSTRUCTIONS

Updated COVID Policies – Effective 4/22/21

04.22.21

The following changes to the HR Temporary COVID policies are in effect 04/22/2021:

Pre-Screening of Team Members Prior to Work

• Team members and volunteers working at a LifeServe facility or sponsored event such as a mobile blood drive, are no longer required to take their temperatures at the beginning and at the end of each shift.
• Team members and volunteers should still monitor themselves with questions regarding if they have a cough, shortness of breath, or feel sick.
• Team members and volunteers who feel sick or have a contagious illness should not work. 
• Team members and volunteers with a known diagnosed illness or allergies may work onsite if there is little chance of it being contagious, however, perceptions of our donors, team members and public do matter.  Currently, people are very sensitive to individuals who are ill.  We ask team members and volunteers to be aware of these perceptions. 

Vaccination Status

Revealing your vaccination status remains optional.  When asked about vaccination status a team member or volunteer has three acceptable responses available; Yes, No, or I choose to keep that information private.  We ask all team members and volunteers to respect these personal choices.  For purposes of these policies, team members and volunteers choosing to keep their vaccination status private must be assumed as not vaccinated.

Mask Use

• Common Areas:  All team members and volunteers are still required to wear face masks when in shared areas, donor floors, reception areas, canteens, hallways, or restrooms.
• In Vehicles:  When more than one person is in the vehicle mask use is required unless eating or drinking.   Team members and volunteers may remove the mask to eat or drink, but must immediately put it back on when finished.  Masks may be removed completely if both of the following conditions are met:
• If everyone in a vehicle has been fully vaccinated  AND If every person in the vehicle agrees

We should be mindful that even if a team member or volunteer is fully vaccinated, a member of their household may not be, or may be a person of high risk.  Therefore, they may be less comfortable being in areas if others are not wearing masks or social distancing.  Please be aware and avoid situations in which individuals feel pressure to agree to remove masks.

• Meetings, Offices, Conference Rooms and Break Rooms
• Limited capacity of break rooms and conference rooms remains in effect.
  • Masks may be removed completely if both of the following conditions are met:
  • If everyone in the room has been fully vaccinated AND If every person in the room agrees

Who We Are

Ever wondered who volunteers for LifeServe Blood Center?

LifeServe Blood Center is a non-profit, volunteer supported, regional source for blood products. Volunteers are a vital part of achieving our mission of saving lives in partnership with the communities we serve.  By volunteering your time and talents, you are a part of the lifesaving link that delivers blood to patients in need.  That you take pride in knowing that your time is as vital to us as a blood donation.  

So, WHO are we? Why are we here?

We at LifeServe are extremely grateful for our volunteers’ continued support and dedication to our organization. Their commitment to our community's blood supply has never wavered, and we recognize all their efforts to ensure that blood products are always readily available for our local hospital patients.  Here are just a few of our outstanding volunteers:

LAVERNE QUASS

LifeServe Blood Center is proud to nominate LaVerne Quass for the Governor’s Volunteer Awards.  LaVerne has always believed in giving back to his community. He spends his time volunteering for various organizations throughout Des Moines, but at the end of the day he is an avid blood donor. In fact, he is a 23-gallon donor with 129 lifetime donations and nearly 100 of them were platelets!

Blood donation is not the only way LaVerne helps LifeServe fulfill their mission. Back when he retired in 2003, he wanted to look to see how he could also volunteer in his community. He did a simple search online and discovered a volunteer driver opportunity at LifeServe Blood Center. Since then, there has been no stopping him. He is now driving over 25 hours per week, delivering blood to hospitals all over the state of Iowa and into Nebraska. In his 20 plus years of volunteering, he has driven more than 20,000 hours, in total saving LifeServe a lot of money and reinvesting in his community, which cannot be measured. 

When we asked LaVerne what motivates him to continue volunteering with LifeServe, his answer was simple. “I know I am contributing to help save lives. I can’t think of anything more important one can do than helping those who need help the most.”

DAVE BENDIXEN

LifeServe Blood Center is proud to nominate David Bendixen for the Governor’s Volunteer Awards.   He has volunteered for more than 2500 hours over the last 15 years. 

David has always believed in giving back to his community.  We are thrilled that he is also a volunteer blood donor – currently celebrating 11 gallons with 54 lifetime donations.  That contribution is something we are incredibly thankful for. 

David is dedicated to LifeServe Blood Center.  He is a regular on the driving schedule – taking blood products to hospitals for their patients and returning to our donor center with donations from other volunteers.  He has taken a lot of ownership in our volunteer program, often combining trips to save us money and ensure that all products are delivered on time.  He is the first person to accept a change in our delivery schedule, to accommodate LifeServe and is always willing to train new drivers with his experience and patience. 

DEENA LARUE

LifeServe Blood Center is proud to nominate Deena LaRue for the Governor’s Volunteer Awards.  Deena has always believed in giving back to her community. Deena has volunteered for more than 4200 over the last 9 years. 

She has volunteered with various organizations throughout Des Moines, beginning as a parent volunteer with her children, and continuing now with her church.  We are thrilled that she is also a volunteer blood donor - currently she has donated 4-gallons with 32 lifetime donations.  That contribution is amazing. 

Deena has a wealth of talents and shares them with LifeServe Blood Center by volunteering in multiple departments.  Several times a week, she is on duty with LifeServe.  She spends time in our supply room, filling inventory requests for the mobile drives scheduled for the following week.  She also picks up our Panera donations multiple times a week, which is critical in drawing in our donors on a regular basis.  Finaly, she is a huge factor in our delivery success stories, by driving blood products to local hospitals – either to fill an emergency order or replace the products used during the previous day.  In her spare time, she enjoys travelling and is devoted to her family.    

MONTE ENGH

LifeServe Blood center is thrilled to nominate Monte Engh for the Fresenius Kabi Donation Hall of Fame.

Monte has been a been a lifelong blood donor, with 289 donations resulting in sixty-eight gallons.  That is very impressive, and we are so thankful. 

“About 20 years ago I read an article in the paper about a gentleman that had donated a large amount of blood and was a volunteer driver for LifeServe. I thought that sounded pretty good and kept it in the back of my mind.  When I retired 4 years ago, since I enjoy driving, I joined the Volunteer Team at LifeServe, and became a volunteer driver.  In the last 4 years I have had over 1050 designated trips, which has translated into over 4050 volunteer hours, and over 150,000 miles driven.  It is a good feeling knowing that you are part of a system that is making a difference in people's lives.  It is always a good time when you come in and visit and joke around with the Product Management team. (and other people that I run into in the building.)  The Hospitals are usually glad to see you when you arrive, as well as people at the donor centers if you are delivering supplies and picking up Blood to be brought back to be processed and made ready to send back out.

Monte has a giving spirit and a servant heart and shares his talents throughout our community.

“I am also a Core Crew Member and volunteer regularly with the local Habitat for Humanity.

I belong to two different Mission Groups that travel through the Midwest and South and help with reconstruction after natural disasters.  I have been on approximately thirty mission trips over the last 20 years.

I have been to Malawi, Africa twice with my church, the Ankeny First United Methodist Church. We have a Partnership of Hope with the Methodist Church in Malawi. This partnership builds relationships with local ministers and churches in Malawi. We show support by being present in the local villages. Some of the projects supported through this partnership include deep water wells, nursery schools, women's empowerment training through a Tailoring School, and village loan programs.”

Blood products are needed all over Iowa and Nebraska and as soon as possible. Our volunteer drivers are making a difference in their communities and saving lives. Monte drives 20+ hours a week for LifeServe and typically takes the long, less desired trips. He is a work horse. He does what it takes to get the job done, goes the extra mile and all while having a smile on his face and enjoying the people he interacts with.

Monte is the definition of a volunteer; a person who does something, especially helping other people, willingly and without being paid to do it. He has advocated for our volunteer program and recruited others to volunteer.

His contributions to LifeServe Blood Center make us successful every day and for that we are thankful.

Volunteers Make a Difference

Did you know in 2022/23?

​

• 136,982 REGISTERED DONORS
• 10,744 FIRST TIME DONORS
• 2,423 Mobile Blood Drives
• 1,873 Blood Drive Coordinators
• 85,902 Blood products provided to local hospital partners
• 157,056 lives impacted nationwide
• 158 Volunteers volunteered for 18,071 hours
• An estimated 2,060,381 miles driven  
• 13 DONOR CENTERS
• 3 STATES
• 333 TEAM MEMBERS