Hello, The International Year of Volunteers, which is draw- ing to a close, is an ideal opportunity to recognize the immense contribution of those who give gener- ously of their time, whether to recruit donors, orga- nize blood drives, give blood or look after donors at blood drives. At HÉMA-QUÉBEC, we are honoured to be able to count on the support of over 300,000 volunteers— donors, organizers, blood drive and telephone recruiting volunteers—to carry out our mission. It is to thank them that we are publishing a special issue on volunteers, in which some of them explain why they find donating blood to be so important. Volunteering is an act of mutual assistance and solidarity. As such, I would like to recognize the extraordinary support from donors following the events of September 11 in the United States. You came out in great numbers, a testimony to the tremendous generosity of Quebecers during difficult times. If you gave blood for the first time on this occasion, we strongly encourage you to give again. Your help is invalu- able to us. Remember, someone in Québec needs blood every 80 seconds! Francine Décary Executive Director Info Information Bulletin for HÉMA-QUÉBEC partners, volunteers and donors Volume 4 NO 2 - Autumn 2001 • Welcome to Globule! ............................2 • New advertising campaign ....................3 • Special issue on volunteers ..............4-7 • HÉMATECH project ..................................8 A message from the Executive Director Inside Special issue on volunteers As part of the International Year of Volunteers, Info HÉMA-QUÉBEC would like to introduce you to some of the many people who volunteer for HÉMA-QUÉBEC. Read about the generous men and women who spare no effort to help HÉMA-QUÉBEC fulfill its mission. See pages 4-7 C ONGRATULATIONS TO OUR VOLUNTEERS ! H a p p y h o l i d a y s! HÉMA-QUÉBEC Someone in Québec needs blood every 80 seconds!
Transcript
Hello,
The International Year of Volunteers, which is draw-ing to a close, is an ideal opportunity to recognizethe immense contribution of those who give gener-ously of their time, whether to recruit donors, orga-nize blood drives, give blood or look after donors atblood drives.
At HÉMA-QUÉBEC, we are honoured to be able tocount on the support of over 300,000 volunteers—donors, organizers, blood drive and telephonerecruiting volunteers—to carry
out our mission. It is to thank them that we are publishinga special issue on volunteers, in which some of themexplain why they find donating blood to be so important.
Volunteering is an act of mutual assistance and solidarity.As such, I would like to recognize the extraordinary support from donors following the events of September 11in the United States. You came out in great numbers, a testimony to the tremendous generosity of Quebecers
during difficulttimes.
If you gave blood for the first time onthis occasion, we strongly encourageyou to give again. Your help is invalu-able to us. Remember, someone inQuébec needs blood every 80 seconds!
Francine DécaryExecutive Director
InfoInformation Bulletin forHÉMA-QUÉBEC partners, volunteers and donors Volume 4 NO 2 - Autumn 2001
• Welcome to Globule! ............................2
Donor information How long do I have to wait before giving blood if…• I had a dental cleaning or a filling? You must wait until the following day
to give blood.
• I had an extraction, dental surgery or root canal? You must wait 72 hoursafter the treatment.
Can I give blood if…• I have diabetes? Yes, provided your diabetes is controlled with an oral
hypoglycemiant or by diet; you cannot give blood if you inject insulin.
• I have oral herpes (commonly calleda cold sore)? Yes.
• I take medication to controlhypertension? Yes.
• I have previously had jaundice? Yes,if you had jaundice before age 11and were not diagnosed withhepatitis B or C.
• I drank alcohol? Yes, provided youare not impaired and are able togive blood with informed consent.
• I take antihistamines to treat anallergy? Yes, provided you feel wellat the time you give blood.
Volume 4 NO 2 – Autumn 2001 2
The Montréal blood donor centre is moving
Globule opens its doors!
Info-DriveFor information about blood drives in the Montréal region(514) 832-0873 or 1 800 343-SANGwww.hema-quebec.qc.ca
For information about blood drives in the Québec City region(418) 650-7230 or 1 800 761-6610www.hema-quebec.qc.ca
Customer service (donor information): 1 800 847-2525
InfoHÉMA-QUÉBEC
Since October 29, HÉMA-QUÉBEC hashad a brand new type of donor cen-tre. Called Globule, this innovativecentre enables you to give blood in awarm, friendly atmosphere, located at the very heart of Place Versailles shopping centre.
Easily accessible, Globule is located at7275 Sherbrooke Street East,Montréal, opposite the Radissonmétro station. The centre is open todonors seven days a week.
Business hoursSunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Monday toWednesday: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.Thursday-Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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If, for example, you are a donor andyour blood group is type O-, you areconsidered a universal donor becauserecipients of all blood groups canreceive type O- blood.
However, as a recipient you can onlyreceive blood given by a type O- donor.Patients generally receive blood fromdonors of the same blood group.
Blood-typecompatibility
Volume 4 NO 2 – Autumn 2001
Launched in late May 2001, the newblood donation awareness campaignfeatures adults fully enjoying life andfor whom blood donation is especial-ly significant.
“The goal of this campaign is toencourage donors to give bloodmore often,” says Sylvie Daigneault,head of Direct Marketing. “We alsowant to encourage potential donorsto make that first donation.”
She continues: “This time again, theads feature real recipients. We wantedto illustrate what I would call theamazing impacts that blood dona-tion has on life and emphasize theimportant role of the donor.”
Specifically targeting people aged18-45, the advertising concept inno-vates by exploiting complementarymedia. The television commercialsshowcase recipients, radio spots givethem a forum to talk about theimportance of blood donation intheir life, and print advertisementstake the form of a note left by therecipient for the reader.
This campaign has not only had apositive impact on donors, but alsoon recipients’ commitment to pro-moting blood donation. All over
Québec, recipients frequently volun-teer to work at blood drives.“Although HÉMA-QUÉBEC is anessential partner, giving blood isabove all a community and humani-tarian act,” concludes Sylvie.
Our Web site gets a makeover!If you recently visited HÉMA-QUÉBEC’s Web site, you no doubt noticed that ithas a new colourful and dynamic look! This new graphical presentation makesthe site more user friendly and facilitates browsing.
In terms of content, we took advantage of the opportunity to make thefollowing changes:
• a home page featuring images from our new advertising campaign
• the site now provides visitors with a quick link to the schedule of blood drivesfor the next four weeks, directly from the home page
• a brand new section on R&D will be available by the end of January 2002
Approximately 6,000 people visitHÉMA-QUÉBEC’s Website every month. Theresults from previousweeks’ blood drives areavailable, along with acomplete press sectionfor media representativeslooking for informationabout the organization.
We have a new look,but the address staysthe same: Come pay us a visit!
Blood donation awareness campaign
Focus on recipients!
HÉMA-QUÉBEC 3Info
Patrick
Sophie
Émilie
Carolyn
Johanne
On September 7 at the Montréaldonor centre, Marc-AndréLimoges gave blood for the…400th time! With more than 530 donations between them,the Limoges are among ourmost active donors.
Every second Friday around 2 p.m., Mr.Limoges leaves his work as a lithogra-pher at Ross Ellis to head for theMontréal donor centre. Once there, hesettles comfortably in an armchair forthe next two hours, the time requiredto donate platelets. A donor since age18, Marc-André Limoges has given
whole blood, plasma, platelets and granulocytes over the years.
With 128 donations of blood and plasma to her credit, Mr. Limoges’ wife, Francine, is also a career donor.Introduced to blood donation by herhusband in March 1968, when theywere courting, Francine Limoges hasnever stopped giving.
“I feel it is important that blood donorsknow that they can give products otherthan whole blood, such as platelets andplasma,” states Mrs. Limoges. “Theopening of Globule, the new donorcentre at Place Versailles, will allow meto start donating platelets, becauseGlobule will be open on weekends.”
What is the secret to reaching 400donations? According to Mr. Limoges,you just have to start! “I made a com-mitment to myself and I am keepingit,” he explains.
Volume 4 NO 2 – Autumn 2001 4 InfoHÉMA-QUÉBEC
Francine and Marc-André Limoges
Mr. Limoges, photographed September 7with Lise Cotton-Robert, R.N.
Life-long donorsRecognizing a pair of very active donors
As part of the International Year of
Volunteers, Info HÉMA-QUÉBEC met
with volunteers who spoke about their
commitment to donating blood.
Congratulations
to ourvolunteers!
Volume 4 NO 2 – Autumn 2001 5
“The first and last time I gave whole blood... was two days after I turned 18. I then started to give plasma once a week. My brother, who is a nurse, told me I have nice veins. My family knows how important it is for me to respect my commitment to donate plasma. I recently met Patrick Bérard, one of the recipientswho appear in HÉMA-QUÉBEC’s ad campaign, and found him truly inspiring. As long as I’m healthy, I plan on giving blood until I’m 71!”
Ian Poudrier, 111 donations as at October 31
Québec City
Jean-Guy Duclos, 436 donations as at October 9L’Assomption
“I donated blood for the first time on December 5, 1957 while I was a fireman inMontréal. In the 1980s, I started to give platelets, plasma and granulocytes. Whatwould I tell someone who has never given blood? Just try it! At blood drives, Iencourage new donors and tell them that the most important donation is thenext one you plan to make.”
Jean-Paul Brazeau, 302 donations as at October 9Montréal
“My father took me to Mayor Drapeau’s blood drive when I was 18. Like my father,I’ve taken this cause to heart. You know what they say: Like father, like son! As Ibegan to donate more, I learned how the blood was being used. I didn’t want tostop giving. For me, donating blood is a social responsibility and an ongoing com-mitment. We must encourage others to donate.”
Émile PaquetQuébec City
Telephone and plasma donorrecruiting volunteer
56 whole blood donations and 450plasma donations
“I’m glad to do something that I’mnot paid for. I feel that I have a debtto society as I have never been outof work. This is my way of sayingthank you to society, which has beengood to me. I like meeting peopleand I’m happy to put mycommunication skills to work forHÉMA-QUÉBEC, especially to recruitplasma donors.”
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InfoHÉMA-QUÉBEC
Mr. Jean-Guy Duclos and Jean-Paul Brazeau
Volume 4 NO 2 – Autumn 2001 6
JacquelineVilleneuve Joliette
blood drive organizer for 39 years“I organize blood drives to make upfor the fact that I cannot give blood.As long as I am healthy, I will do mypart. This is my way of contributing.Since HÉMA-QUÉBEC was founded,this has been even easier! I think thatthe advertising campaign is workingwell.”
ChristianeLorangerCrabtree
blood drive organizer for five years“I understood the importance ofdonating blood when I was told whathappened to the blood and the manyways in which it is used, especially tohelp sick children.”
Céline Lemay-MassicotteCap-Santé
Blood drive organizer for 40 yearsand donor
“My years spent with blood donorvolunteers have been good ones,as donating blood is a cause Istrongly believe in. The volunteerswho work with me are extraordi-nary, as are the HÉMA-QUÉBECpersonnel who come out to meetus. I would also like to thank theFilles d’Isabelle for their support, aswell as the organizations withwhich we work.”
InfoHÉMA-QUÉBEC
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Ms. Jacqueline Villeneuve and Christiane Loranger
Céline SimardSainte-Foy
Volunteer at mobile blood drivesand at Sainte-Foy blood donorcentre
“When I retired, I was looking foran activity that would make mefeel useful. I started volunteeringfor HÉMA-QUÉBEC and I liked it.Then, my husband Paul-Émilejoined me. I have built strongfriendships at blood drives.”
Jeunes d’action: The next generation!Did you know that, thanks to the Jeunes d’action program, close to 20% of the17,000 calls every week by the Montréal telephone recruiting team are made byhigh school students?
Started two years ago, the objective of Jeunes d’action is to prepare the nextgeneration by raising young people’s awareness about donating blood and bygetting them to do volunteer work. Even though they are too young to giveblood, the teenagers can make a difference by recruiting blood donors bytelephone.
Jeunes d’action is currently aimed at high school students at internationalschools, where students have to do community work in order to earn their highschool diploma.
The young volunteers receive close guidance, which includes training intelemarketing, constant supervision, an evaluation and a letter of reference toadd to their résumé.
This fall, HÉMA-QUÉBEC relied on the collaboration of 25 young volunteersevery week to help it recruit donors. For more information about Jeunesd’action, contact Claude Leboeuf at (514) 832-5000, ext. 133.
Myriam CircéCarignan
Telephone recruiting volunteer aspart of the Jeunes d’action program
Grade 10 student at St-HubertInternational School
“My parents cannot give blood, so Ithought I would do my part. I haveto do a total of 20 hours of volun-teer work as part of the program,but I’m sure I’ll do more. Somedonors are very happy when weremind them that it’s time to giveblood again. Later on, I’ll give bloodif I can.”
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Recognition forlife-long donorsIn honour of the International Year of Volunteers, HÉMA-QUÉBEC launched ayear-long program of activities aimed at recognizing the generosity of donorswho have given blood 100+ times. The program included a series ofappreciation evenings in 11 cities across Québec.
Held from April through November in Québec City, Longueuil, Laval, Montréal,Trois-Rivières, Montréal West, Saint-Hyacinthe, Sherbrooke, Joliette, Gatineauand Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, these occasions were a means for us to recognizein a special way the indispensable support of hundreds of donors who haveshown exceptional commitment to giving blood. Thank you!
InfoHÉMA-QUÉBEC
Patrick Bérard, recipient, speaking to donors in Sherbrooke
Doris CroteauLongueuil
Recruiting and blood drive volunteerfor 20 years
“I like talking to people. At blood drives, when a donor is afraid, I holdhis hand and talk to him. Once, at ablood drive, I saw that HÉMA-QUÉBECwas looking for recruiting volunteers. I started doing it and I enjoy the experience.”
Bernard LeclercMontréal
Telephone recruiting volunteer sinceJanuary 2000, and active donor
“I do telephone recruiting because ithelps save lives, and it is importantthat we do our share for others. Oneday I might need blood!”
Volume 4 NO 2 – Autumn 2001
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To fulfill its mission, HÉMA-QUÉBECneeds to use the most effective instru-ments and procedures so as to maxi-mize the safety and availability ofblood components.
Given the diversity and constant evolu-tion of technologies, choosing thebest instrument or the optimum pro-cedure often requires prior testing.
To meet this need, HÉMA-QUÉBECcreated Hématech, a test group dedi-cated to evaluating new technologiesaimed at increasing the quality andavailability of blood components.
Hématech is comprised of personnelfrom blood drives, laboratories, QualityControl, Administration & Finance,Medical Affairs and R&D. Currently,work groups are participating in theimplementation of three projectsinvolving the evaluation of a collectiondevice with derivation of the first milli-litres of blood, thrombapheresisdevices, and a new test to identify IgAserum deficiency in blood donors.
For more information on Hématech’swork, contact the R&D secretariat at(418) 650-7235.
Volume 4 NO 2 – Autumn 2001 8
In shortIn October, HÉMA-QUÉBEC donatedsome 8,000 unused collectiondevices to the organizationCollaboration Internationale.HÉMA-QUÉBEC now uses new col-lection devices which enabledeleukocytation, i.e. the filtration ofwhite cells. CollaborationInternationale will see that thedevices are sent to developingcountries.
***In June, HÉMA-QUÉBEC receivedthe Équinoxe award in the Internalprogram category at a gala orga-nized by the Société des relation-nistes du Québec. This award wasfor excellence by the Public Affairsteam in developing and implemen-ting a communications plan to setup PROGESA, a blood managementsoftware by Mak System.
***HÉMA-QUÉBEC won the Coup decœur du jury award in the categoryfor Outgoing Call Centres at theGala Flèche d’Or 2001 held in Juneby the Société de marketing directet des centres d’appels deMontréal.
***The Association of Blood DonationVolunteers (ABDS) will host the con-ference of the InternationalFederation of Blood DonorOrganizations (IFBDO), to be held inQuébec City from May 23-26, 2002under the theme “Blood donors,anonymous heros”. Some 50 coun-tries belong to the IFBDO andQuébec, by way of the ABDS, is theonly North American representative.
HÉMA-QUÉBEC
launches
Hématech
is produced by HÉMA-QUÉBEC’s Public Affairs Division
Editor: André Roch, Assistant to theExecutive Director, Public Affairs
Research and writing: Nataly RainvilleGraphics: Dominic ArmandPhotos: Marc Couture, Nataly Rainville
How to reach us4045 Côte-Vertu BlvdSaint-Laurent (Québec) H4R 2W7
