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1994.02.08 : Federal Employee Blood Donor Campaign 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       Contact: HHS Press Office 
Tuesday, Feb. 8, 1994                (202) 690-6343
                                     Red Cross: Margaret McCarthy
                                     (202) 639-3200

     SHALALA GIVES BLOOD, SEEKS 40 PERCENT PARTICIPATION GOAL

     Marking her first day as chair of the 1994 Federal Government
Blood Donor Campaign, HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today called
for a 40 percent blood donor participation goal for federal
employees.

     She was joined by American Red Cross President Elizabeth Dole.
Both women then set the example by being first in line to donate
blood at the opening 1994 blood drive at HHS headquarters.

    "Our nation, including the Washington metropolitan area, is
suffering unnecessary, chronic shortages in blood donation,"
Secretary Shalala said.  "The earthquake situation in Los Angeles 
showed us once again that we need to support and bolster our blood
donor programs, so that blood products are available when and where
they are needed."

     Secretary Shalala and Mrs. Dole emphasized the need for
regular donation to avoid recurrent shortages.  Recent reports
indicated that national blood supplies had reached their lowest
point since World War II, and blood could have become unavailable
in Los Angeles if more injuries had occurred in the Northridge
earthquake.  

     President Clinton asked Secretary Shalala last week to head
the blood donation campaign for federal employees.  

     Shalala set the goal of 40 percent annual participation in
blood drives by HHS employees by the end of 1995, up from about 15
percent today.   Shalala also said she would contact every member
of the Cabinet and ask them to aim at a 40 percent goal.  

     In the Washington and Baltimore areas, Shalala said, reliable
blood donation by federal employees is crucial.  "With some 425,000
federal employees in the Washington and Baltimore area, our actions
alone can make the difference in overcoming the chronic local
shortage of blood donation," she said.

     The Secretary said she is appointing Special Assistant Sarah
Kovner to head the HHS blood donor campaign, and will ask other
Cabinet members to name a senior manager with access to top
management to head agency campaigns.

    "The President wants every agency to work seriously toward a
high participation rate," she said.

     The Red Cross's Greater Washington/Baltimore Region currently
projects a total of 295,000 blood donations during 1994, while
330,000 are needed to meet patient requirements.

[NOTE:  Participation is calculated by comparing the number of    
donations given with the total number of employees.  Regular     
donors who give blood more than once in a year cause the     
"participation rate" to increase.]