Buckeye Nation brings home a win that will benefit local patients
The Ohio State University is back in the win column, defeating the University of Michigan in the 41st annual Blood Battle competition by more than 70 pints of blood collected. The final tally of total blood procedures collected:
- Ohio State: 1630
- Michigan: 1553
This year’s victory marks the first time Ohio State has won the Blood Battle since 2017.
“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone in Buckeye Nation who rolled up their sleeves for this friendly off-the-field competition. I was honored to do my part to help fill the need for this lifesaving resource,” said Dr. Andrew Thomas, chief clinical officer and interim co-leader at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “We hope this Blood Battle inspires more people to regularly donate blood to help their community.”
The Blood Battle took place during a four-week period ending on Nov. 23, on both the Ohio State and Michigan campuses. Ohio State held a series of 48 blood drives during the battle. Ohio State’s 1630 total of blood procedures collected exceeds its goal of 1500, which was set prior to the competition. The blood collected in Columbus benefits patients at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
“We are so thrilled by the enthusiasm shown by Buckeye Nation to take the selfless action of donating blood during this year’s Blood Battle,” said Brian Bautista, Versiti executive vice president and chief operating officer. “At Versiti, it’s our mission to be able to serve all of those who rely on lifesaving blood. To know there are thousands of people who will benefit from the large volume of blood collected in both the Ohio State and Michigan communities is something that can give us all a great deal of pride.”
Versiti has been the blood and blood products provider to the Wexner Medical Center since 2019. All blood collected by Ohio State directly benefits patients who are treated for traumatic injuries, undergoing cancer treatment and organ transplant recipients, among several other conditions.
Blood donation facts:
- One blood donation can save up to three lives.
- Every two seconds, someone needs lifesaving blood.
- Blood cannot be manufactured.
- Blood donation appointments take less than one hour to complete.
Blood donors can donate whole blood every eight weeks. Versiti strongly encourages Columbus residents to consider donating blood as frequently as they can, as there is always a need. Blood cannot be manufactured, which makes blood donation vital for people in our community.
In March 2022, Versiti opened its first permanent blood center in Ohio at 3830 Fishinger Blvd., Hilliard, OH 43026. Versiti also holds mobile blood drives across central Ohio throughout the year. Donors can register for future blood drives at versiti.org.
Follow the Versiti Blood Center of Ohio on Twitter @BloodCenterOh.
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About Versiti
Versiti, a national leader in blood health innovation, was formed with the mission to improve the health of patients and enable the success of our health care partners nationally. We provide innovative, value-added solutions in the fields of transfusion medicine, transplantation, and blood-related diseases to meet the needs of each of our hospital partners. The collective efforts across Versiti result in improved patient outcomes, expanded access to care, and cost efficiencies for health care systems nationwide. For more information, visit versiti.org.