Blood Donation Drives and Participation By Students

LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Policy Bulletin
TITLE:
Blood Donation Drives and Participation by Students
NUMBER:
BUL-4152
ISSUER:
Rene Gonzalez, Assistant Superintendent
Student Health and Human Services
DATE:
March 3, 2008
POLICY:
The Board of Education has entered into a legal agreement with the American Red
Cross and other public/private nonprofit blood procurement agencies which makes it
possible for schools to develop blood donor programs that will contribute to the
regional blood supply and will acquaint students with the community responsibility
of being blood donors.
MAJOR
CHANGES:
This Bulletin replaces Bulletin 968, “Blood Donation Drives and Participation by 17Year-Old Donors,” dated May 1, 2004. The content has been updated to reflect new
regulations allowing blood donation by 16-year-olds with parental consent.
GUIDELINES:
Background
ROUTING
All Employees
All Locations
For many years, the District, along with other segments of the community--business,
industrial, religious, fraternal, and other governmental organizations, has participated
in what amounts to a total community effort to make volunteer donor blood available
to everyone who needs it, when it is needed. Students and employees have
participated in blood donor drives on school campuses and at other District facilities
which were co-sponsored by the LAUSD and the American Red Cross or other blood
procurement agencies. The demand for volunteer blood has always been great but
became even more so since 1977 when, by law, California physicians were
prohibited from using paid donor blood unless volunteer blood was unavailable. In
the past several years the shortage of blood has become even more acute, creating a
near emergency situation.
The donation procedures utilized by the blood procurement agencies contracted
through the District provide for adequate medical protection for all donors.
California law (Senate Bill 135, Chapter 23, [April 1981] and Health and Safety
Code Section 1607.5) does not require parent/guardian consent for 17-year-old
minors. Accordingly, the District does not require this consent for participation in
blood donor drives held on District campuses.
California Health and Safety Code Section 1602.5(a)(1) links the state standards for
blood collection to the American Association of Blood Banks’ publication
“Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusions Services,” the 24th Edition of which
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changed the age for donor qualification to 16-year-old minors. This means that under
California law 16-year-old minors can donate blood without parental consent.
Nevertheless, some blood procurement agencies do not allow 16-year-old donors
based on the particular agency’s policy and procedures. In addition, those blood
procurement agency partners that do allow for 16-year-old donors have agreed with
the District, as a matter of policy, that 16-year-olds can only donate with written
parental or guardian consent.
Procedure
Representatives from the American Red Cross (ARC) and/or other public/private
nonprofit blood procurement agencies (BPA) are authorized to contact senior high
school principals to explore the possibility of a school’s participation in the
community blood donor drive program. Participation in the program is voluntary for
each school. The decision to take part, or not, is the responsibility of the principal so
long as the BPA has an agreement, i.e., contract or MOU, in place with LAUSD.
Should the decision to participate be entertained, adherence to the following steps
will be necessary:
•
The principal should contact the Director, Community Partnerships and
Medi-Cal Programs, at (213) 241-3872 to verify whether or not the
ARC/BPA has an approved contract or MOU in place with the District.
The contract or MOU verifies that the ARC/BPA meets standard safety
guidelines, utilizes appropriately certificated personnel, and complies
with the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act.
•
A school coordinator or designee should be identified to coordinate and
interact with the ARC/BPA representative.
•
The ARC/BPA representative will assist the school and coordinate the
blood donor drive, by scheduling the date of the drive, selecting the most
appropriate location for the drive on the campus, and planning the
mechanics of the program. The ARC/BPA representative will be
responsible for publicity materials and the necessary forms, including
notifications and parental consent forms.
•
Each school will make every effort to reach as many parents/guardians as
possible through local publicity, school papers, letters to parents, local
newspapers, and PTA publications to notify them of the importance of
blood drives. A sample letter from the school is included in Attachment A
in English and Spanish.
•
The ARC/BPA will provide accurate and complete educational materials
to donors, which clarify donor requirements. ARC/BPA representatives
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Policy Bulletin
will assess risk factors that would preclude a student from donating blood.
AUTHORITY:
•
Students 17 years and older are not required to have parental consent.
Students 16 years old must have written parental consent on forms
approved by the District. (Consent to be part of the agreement or MOU)
•
As blood donation drives can take considerable organization and student
time away from instruction, schools should limit the number of blood
drives to two a year or less (e.g., every 6 months). The ARC recommends
at least 56 days between donations for healthy individual donors.
•
California Health and Safety Code, Division 2, Chapter 4 (starting
section 1600)
“Standards for Blood Banks on Transfusion Services;” 24th Edition,
American Association of Blood Banks (section 5.4.1 and reference
standard 5.4.1A)
California Department of Public Health, August 4, 2007 (letter)
•
•
ASSISTANCE: For further information, please call the Director, Student Medical Services, at
(213) 765-2830; or Director, Community Partnerships and Medi-Cal Programs at
(213) 241-3872; or Director, District Nursing, at (213) 765-2800.
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LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Student Health and Human Services
Attachment A
SAMPLE LETTER
BLOOD DONATION DRIVE
(School Letterhead)
Dear Parent/Guardian:
This letter is to advise you of the Los Angeles Unified School District (“District”) policy and California
state law requirement regarding blood donation drives conducted on high school campuses.
For years the District, along with other public and private community organizations, has joined in a total
community effort to make volunteer donor blood available to those that need it. District high school
campuses have participated in successful blood donation drives that help restore and maintain the blood
supply in Los Angeles County. In the past several years there has been an increasing shortage of blood,
creating dangerous situations for those that need urgent and emergency blood transfusions.
Please be advised that the District abides by state law with respect to the procedures and protocols for
conducting blood drives. In addition, the District follows state law in that it does not require
parent/guardian consent for students 17 years of age and older to participate in blood donor drives on
District campuses. Students 16 years of age may participate in blood donation if they meet certain
criteria and have written parent/guardian consent. Each agency conducting the blood donation drive at
the school will determine if they will allow students 16 years of age to participate and they will provide
the proper parent/guardian consent forms. This letter is to inform you of the upcoming Blood Donation
Drive, so that you might discuss this opportunity with your son or daughter.
The
will conduct the Blood Donation Drive at our school on:
Name of Agency
Date:
Time:
Location:
The Blood Donation Drive will contribute to the regional blood supply while acquainting students, staff
and families with the volunteer opportunities of being a blood donor.
If you have any questions, please contact _____________________________________.
Staff Coordinator for Blood Donation Drive
Sincerely,
Principal
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Anexo A
MODELO DE CARTA
CAMPAÑA PARA DONACION DE SANGRE
(Membrete de la escuela)
Estimado Padre/Madre/Tutor:
Esta carta tiene como finalidad informarle las exigencias de las normas del Distrito Escolar Unificado de
Los Angeles (“Distrito”) y las leyes del Estado de California con referencia a las campañas para la
donación de sangre en los planteles escolares de las escuelas preparatorias.
Durante muchos años el Distrito, juntamente con otras organizaciones comunitarias públicas y privadas,
se han unido en un esfuerzo comunitario total para hacer que la donación de sangre voluntaria esté
disponible para las personas que la necesiten. Los planteles escolares de las escuelas preparatorias del
Distrito han participado con éxito en campañas de donación de sangre que ayude a reponer y mantener
la provisión de sangre en el Condado de Los Angeles. En varios años anteriores se ha registrado un
incremento de la escacez de sangre, creando situaciones peligrosas para quienes necesitan transfusiones
de sangre urgentes y de emergencia.
Le hacemos saber que el Distrito obra de acuerdo con las leyes estatales con respecto a los
procedimientos y protocolos para realizar la campaña de donación de sangre. Además, el Distrito obra
de acuerdo con la ley estatal en cuanto a que no se require el consentimiento del padre de familia/tutor
para que los estudiantes de 17 y más años de edad participen como donantes de sangre en los planteles
escolares del Distrito. Los estudiantes de 16 años de edad pueden participar como donantes de sangre si
reúnen ciertas condiciones y tienen permiso por escrito del padre de familia/tutor. Cada entidad que
lleve a cabo la campaña para donación de sangre en la escuela determinará si permitirá participar a los
estudiantes de 16 años de edad y proporcionará los formularios adecuados para el consentimiento del
padre de familia/tutor. La presente es para informarle sobre la próxima Campaña para Donación de
Sangre, para que usted pueda entonces hablar acerca de esta oportunidad con su hijo o hija.
La
realizará la Campaña para Donación de Sangre en nuestra escuela el:
Nombre de la Entidad
Fecha:
Hora:
Lugar:
La Campaña para Donación de Sangre contribuirá a la provisión regional de sangre al mismo tiempo que
les hacen saber a los estudiantes, el personal, y las familias sobre la oportunidad de ser un donante de
sangre voluntario.
Si tiene alguna pregunta que formular, sírvase contactar al __________________________________.
Coordinador de la Campaña para Donantes de Sangre
Atentamente,
Director/a
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