Former Boise Red Cross Employee Says charity 'Overbleeds' Donors

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[chance33_98]

Former Boise Red Cross Employee Says Charity 'Overbleeds' Donors

By Jon Hanian

BOISE - The alleged problems at the Boise Red Cross (known as the Lewis and Clark Region) were reported by Mark Cox. He helped run their blood drives until he was terminated. Cox who has been cited in a published study on the practice says he discovered some of the people drawing blood here were drawing too much. That dangerous practice is called Overbleed, too much blood taken from donors can make them sick and put recipients at risk for deadly clots.

So he says he complained. "My first complaint was verbal and I got no response for months."

So Cox called a National Hot Line set up by the Red Cross a few years ago for whistle blowers.

The Red Cross promised staff and volunteers it would add an extra layer of safety and that all communications would be kept strictly confidential. "I thought that once [a] national [organization] found out, everything would come to a screeching halt."

But instead of a pat on the back, Cox says his bosses here in Boise gave him a boot out the door. "I was terminated."

He was fired the same day he called the hotline. The reason he was given: unprofessional behavior.

The local Red Cross declined our request for an interview saying the case is in litigation, but in a release to Idaho 2 News CEO Howie Walz says "Cox was not terminated because he called the hot line, but for disruptive and threatening conduct....and to ensure the safety of their employees and blood collections operations."

They also say Cox threatened to: "bring down the Red Cross." But his unemployment claim states the Red Cross supplied no evidence to support their reasoning for his termination.

These allegations come as the Red Cross is already under scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration after 70% of the blood supply in middle Tennessee has been quarantined while officials test for an unknown contaminant. That investigation began last week when the Red Cross asked hospitals to stop using bags of blood containing mysterious particles. Hospitals in the area say the quarantine has forced them to postpone some elective surgeries.

[RobRoy]

If all I had to go on was this article, I would say this guy is just a disgruntled employee, and a whiner.

There may be more information to come, of course, but there is nothing here to cause me to believe a word this guy says.

[rellimpank]

--having given gallons of blood in my lifetime, my experience is that the donation stops when the bag is full. I wonder how you "overbleed"?

--my suspicion is that "disgruntled ex-employee" is the problem--

[SarahW]

For some folks, you aren't supposed to fill the bag, for one thing. Men can tolerate more blood giving that women.

The last time I donated blood to the red cross I was ill for days and not myself for a month. I will never do it again.

[IYAS9YAS]

Well, I just gave blood this week in Boise to the Red Cross. They filled the bag and three small vacutainers (for testing). No overbleed here. Everyone was very professional. The only thing I can think of is that they aren't waiting for the 58 day period to go by before taking more blood...but that's not likely.

Sorry catching up on my reading.