Armed Services Blood Program Newsletter
September 29, 2010

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From the Desk of:
COL Francisco Rentas, Director, ASBPO
We are very excited to welcome CDR Roland Fahie as the new Director of the Navy Blood Program.  You can find out more about the many components of the Armed Services Blood Program and how they work together, here.  We also highlight the special service men and women who made sure donating was a success even after a tornado at Fort Leonard Wood; and we debut our "Picture of the Month," with a quick trip down memory lane. 
 
I look forward to seeing you at this year's military blood program workshop during the AABB annual meeting in Baltimore.  The Army Surgeon General, LTG Eric Schoomaker opens our session with an update on trauma care in battlefield conditions. (October 9, 2010 | 2:00pm to 5:30pm) 
 
Warm regards,
COL Francisco Rentas
On Board: Welcome CDR Fahie, Navy Blood Program Director!
 
The Armed Service Blood Program welcomes CDR Roland Fahie as the new Navy Blood Program director.  Enlisting in the Navy in 1979, CDR Fahie brings over 30 years of both military and medical experience to the program.
 
As the director of the Navy Blood Program, CDR Fahie will guide the operation of all Navy Transfusion Services and Blood Donor Centers within the Department of Defense.  His expertise and knowledge will help ensure that the service men and women of this country are receiving excellent care and life-saving blood they need.Department of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery seal   
 
In previous years, CDR Fahie served as interim director for the Navy Blood Program, as well as the director of the Eastern and Western Area Blood Systems, where he was responsible for the management of blood operations throughout those areas of the United States. He has also served as the Department of Defense representative for the Armed Services Blood Program in the Pacific, the director of the Armed Services Blood Bank Center in the National Capital Area, and the deputy director of the Armed Services Blood Program. 
 
His most recent accomplishments include designing laboratories, blood donor centers, and HIV/AIDS treatment and counseling centers in Ethiopia, as well as several blood safety and counseling centers in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. 
 
CDR Fahie is a delegate and member of the AABB (formerly American Association of Blood Banks) Special Interest Group for Transfusion Services and Blood Donor Centers, lead assessor for the AABB, inspector for the College of American Pathologists and a Society of the Armed Services Medical Laboratory scientist.  In addition to numerous unit commendation awards, CDR Fahie has an impressive list of medals, including the Defense Meritorious Service medal, two Navy Meritorious Service medals, the Joint Service Commendation medal, three Navy Commendation medals, two Navy Achievement medals and two National Defense medals.
 
CDR Fahie is a fourth year doctoral candidate, and has earned his Bachelor of Science degree in medical technology, a Masters degree in Immunohematology, and a Master's of Science degree in Biology. 
 
Welcome aboard, CDR Fahie! 
A Bear-tastic Blood Drive
 
Tara Lynn Freiert-Whitman, an ASBP Facebook fan, touched our hearts with this story of the beloved ASBBC-E "Mascot":
 
When I went overseas to Germany, I missed a lot back home. So for my little brother's 4th birthday coming up , I chose to do something a little bit different. I wanted to show Jack, my brother, that both my husband and I still think about him even when we're at work. I decided the best way for a 4 yr old to understand that was to take a teddy bear to one of our blood drives and snap some photos of the teddy going through the process of one of our blood drives.
 
The bear made a huge impact with our donors as well as the staff. The "mascot" of the blood drive on that day put all nervous donors at ease. As for our veteran donors there, they had a few laughs posing for the camera. The teddy bear visited all sections of our drive: registration, screening, physical line, bag issue, phlebotomy, processing, and of course, snacks!
 
We all had a great time on that blood drive. As for the mascot, he is in transit to Iraq to have pictures taken with the guys who are deployed with my husband. After all the pictures are taken a scrap book is going to be put together as a birthday gift for Jack. I sure hope he enjoys it and knows that we miss him.
 
Thank you, Tara, for sharing this great story. 
 
Not yet a fan of the ASBP Facebook page? Become one at www.facebook.com/militaryblood
 
 
 
Photos: Top Right:  Teddy inspects all areas of the blood drive to make sure everything runs smoothly, puting donors at ease. Bottom Left: Tara is helped by the ASBBC-E "mascot" Teddy Bear in processing the blood donations.
Tune in to Our Channel 
 
You know our website. Your know our Facebook and Twitter pages. Now tune into our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/militaryblood where you'll find our featured videos, etc.
 
If you wish to submit a short video of a blood drive you attended, please send us a quick email for instructions at [email protected]
 
Visit our channel on YouTube. 
 
Picture This!
The ASBP Focal Point picture of the month
 
Colonel Joseph H. Akeroyd
 
An innovator in Army medicine and a pioneer in the field of hematology, Colonel Joseph H. Akeroyd improved the storage, collection, and distribution of blood and blood components. Serving as a dedicated advocate, Akeroyd's research and publications had a direct effect on saving lives.  As a result, the blood donor center at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, was memorialized in his honor in April 1993, with the name Akeroyd Blood Donor Center.
 
Find out more about the Akeroyd Blood Donor Center by visiting their site here.
We're Not in The Blood Donor Center Anymore, Toto!
 
With thunder clapping, lightning flashing and tornado sirens wailing across the Fort Leonard Wood sky...and blood donors in the middle of their donation, what do you do?  Several times a year, hospitals practice their severe storm emergency preparedness plan hoping that they will never need it.  However, in the late afternoon of July 11, 2010, that was not the case for staff members at the Fort Leonard Wood Blood Donor Center.  According to Lt. Col. Dale Deehr, officer in charge, "We were halfway through a blood drive with Charlie Company, 2-10th Infantry Regiment when the weather started to get bad and there was an intense lightening storm.  We kept an eye on the sky and our ears to the radio for weather alerts." 
 
Read the entire story at the ASBP website.  
 
Photo: LTC Deehr (front), CPT James Davis (CDR) (middle), and 1SG Michael Palm (back) shake hands with soldiers of Charlie Company. These soldiers received ASBP coins on July 30, 2010 for their blood donation following a severe storm and tornado warning.
2010 AABB Conference only three weeks away!
 
 
A friendly reminder to join us at  the Armed Services Blood Program's workshop at the upcoming AABB annual Meeting in Baltimore this year headlined by LTG Eric Schoomaker.  We look forward to seeing you there!
 
The yearly meeting hosted by the AABB will be held from October 9-12, 2010 with the military blood program workshop scheduled for October 9 from 2:00pm-5:30pm.  
 
To find out more, please visit the 2010 AABB Conference site. 
 
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