Washington, D.C. (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — America's Blood Centers (ABC), the national organization of independent and community blood centers that supply 60 percent of the nation's blood supply, today announced a new multi-year national partnership with Body Interact, a leader in virtual blood simulation technology. patients. This collaboration aims to help innovate the way students and potential blood donors learn about the critical importance of blood donation by providing cutting-edge virtual patient scenarios that illustrate the life-saving impact of blood donation as part of an expanded initiative. Vein to vein: the science of blood donation secondary education program, which will be launched in the coming weeks.
“America's Blood Centers is proud to partner with Body Interact to bring cutting-edge virtual learning settings to our Vein to Vein program. This collaboration will help innovate the way students and potential blood donors learn about the critical importance of blood donation, fostering a lifelong interest in supporting our nation's blood supply. We look forward to working together to provide an engaging and interactive learning experience that will help strengthen and diversify the blood supply for years to come,” said Kate Fry, CEO of America’s Blood Centers.
“At Body Interact/Take The Wind, we are honored to join forces and collaborate with America's Blood Centers. By offering students the opportunity to experience realistic patient simulations, we aim to draw attention to the universal relevance of blood donation through experiential learning. Donating blood is not only a noble act, but also a critical one that could impact students' loved ones and their communities. “We are excited to bring this valuable resource to thousands of high school students across the United States,” said Raquel Bidarra, US Country Manager for Body Interact.
ABC and its international division, ADRP: the Association of Blood Donor Professionals, launched for the first time Vein to vein: the science of blood donation, an innovative secondary education program in 2022 to help educators craft lesson plans to develop student leadership skills and a lifelong interest in supporting our nation's blood supply. This turnkey resource is crafted and designed by educators to meet next-generation science standards. Implementation goes beyond the field of science and also offers opportunities to integrate English language arts and mathematics.
This partnership recognizes the growing demand for digital health education and comes at a critical time for the blood supply. From 2019 to 2021, there was an alarming 60.7% decline in donations from 16- to 18-year-olds. This is especially concerning considering that nearly 20% of all blood drives took place in high schools or colleges last year. Early education and exposure to blood donation is a critical step in creating lifelong blood donors.
As part of this collaboration, Body Interact will develop 10 cutting-edge digital scenarios covering essential topics such as blood and trauma, pre-hospital blood use, and the vital need for a diverse blood supply. These immersive scenarios will be integrated into an expanded version of ABC's Vein to Vein program launching in the coming weeks, offering educators and students free access to a more engaging and interactive learning experience.
Over the five-year duration of this partnership, ABC members will use these scenarios in schools across the country, enhancing their ability to deliver immersive and impactful education in classrooms across the country. Members of ABC's international division, ADRP: The Association of Blood Donor Professionals, as well as educators implementing Vein to Vein, will receive a free trial to further explore these innovative scenarios.
Founded in 1962, America's Blood Centers is the national organization bringing together independent and community-based blood centers. Its member organizations operate more than 600 blood collection sites that provide about 60 percent of the U.S. blood supply and a quarter of Canada's. These blood centers serve more than 150 million people and provide blood products and services to more than 3,500 hospitals and healthcare facilities across North America. All ABC US members are licensed and regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. For more information visit www.AmericasBlood.org.
Body Interact is a clinical system adopted worldwide to train students in decision making and critical thinking, with realistic virtual patients, in hundreds of clinical scenarios. Body Interact enables both medical professionals and students to accelerate learning, develop clinical skills, and achieve performance excellence. Its vision is to be the most trusted, attractive and widely adopted clinical education system in the world. For more information, visit www.BodyInteract.com.
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