Diversification of the Donor Pool: Identifying Challenges and Highlighting Strategies for Successful Donor Recruitment and Retention

The population of the United States continues to become more diverse, yet the majority of blood donors are Caucasian. As the population demographics change, blood centers must focus on recruitment and retention of donors from underrepresented communities to maintain a safe and adequate blood supply. This session will review data from the U.S. census and the BEST Collaborative, discuss challenges of recruiting in underrepresented communities (African American, Hispanic, and Asian communities), and highlight blood centers with successful recruitment and retention programs.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss U.S. census and BEST Collaborative data
• Identify the challenges to donor recruitment and retention in underrepresented communities
• Describe successful blood center donor recruitment and retention programs

Speakers:

Jorge Antunez
American Red Cross

Yvette Marie Miller, M.D.
American Red Cross

Yanyun Wu, M.D. PhD
Bloodworks Northwest