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The Web’s Most Asked Questions: What Do Blood Donations Get Tested For?
Blood donations are subject to a battery of tests that play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of the blood supply. These tests are designed to identify diseases that can potentially be transmitted through blood transfusions. Among the well-known...
The Web’s Most Asked Questions: How Blood Donation Helps Our Community
Blood donation is a lifeline for our community, with more than 15 million blood products used annually in the United States. Every two seconds, someone in the country requires blood, meaning blood donation directly impacts our community, saving lives and...
Individual Donor Assessment — Changes to Blood Donation Deferrals
In May 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a final revised guidance regarding risk assessment for sexually transmitted infectious diseases (most notably HIV) that can be transmitted through transfusion. Stanford Blood Center is currently working to implement these...
Wendy Leong: 50 Years on Team SBC!
By Samm Baker, Communications Strategist Throughout her remarkable 50-year journey with Stanford, Wendy Leong has exemplified unwavering dedication as an integral part of the Histocompatibility Laboratory. During her tenure, she has been a firsthand witness (and integral part of) to...
A Mother’s Mission: Tabitha’s Commitment to Donating Blood for Others
By Samantha Baker, Communications Strategist Bay Area local Tabitha Jackson knows firsthand the vital importance of a stable and readily available blood supply for those in need. Her son, who had five congenital heart defects resulting in three open heart...
A Surprising Discovery: How One Blood Donation Led to Early Cancer Diagnosis
The Advent of AI in Blood Donation and Transfusion
Written by Krista Thomas, Communications Strategist, with medical direction and expertise from Dr. Tho D. Pham, Chief Medical Officer With the rise of several artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) applications and uses such as ChatGPT, “deep fake” AI-generated images, and...
What Really Happens to Your Body After You Donate Blood: Effects, Risks and Recovery
Written by Krista Thomas, Communications Strategist, with medical direction and expertise from Dr. Suchi Pandey, Chief Medical Officer One of the most common concerns folks have around giving blood—even those who do so regularly—is how their body reacts and...
Valerie McGuire: Reflecting on 400 Donations
Here at SBC, we love celebrating our incredible milestone donors and their impact on helping support patients in our community. One of those heroes is Valerie McGuire, who recently made her 400th milestone donation. Public Relations Officer Ross Coyle interviewed the...