The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) and Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine Cancer Institute announced today that they have formed a community partnership to launch the Carolinas Sickle Cell Collaborative.

Representatives with both organizations hosted a launch event with members of the African American community to explore the effects of sickle cell disease on this community and to share ways for individuals and organizations to get involved in supporting local patients.

The goals of the Carolinas Sickle Cell Collaborative include: 1) identifying African American blood donors who are matches for sickle cell patients in our community; 2) increasing the number of African American blood donors to support these patients; and 3) getting more African American organizations involved in hosting blood drives throughout the year.

“Given the fact that sickle cell disease is so prevalent in African-Americans, it is very important to educate this community about the impact of sickle cell disease, and the urgent need for people to donate blood to support the treatment of acute and chronic sickle cell complications. This collaboration will help to enhance awareness of the disease and the fact that having more African-American blood donors can be life saving for persons with sickle cell disease,” said Ify Osunkwo, MD, MPH, sickle cell specialist at Levine Cancer Institute.

Studies show that 80,000 people in the United States have sickle cell and that 98 percent of those are African American. Although sickle cell is not unique to African Americans, it is more frequently diagnosed in the African American patient population in the U.S. These patients often need regular blood transfusions from donors with matching blood types and similar blood characteristics. The best match usually comes from other African American donors which will decrease patient pain and rejection rates during their frequent blood transfusion treatments.

Research shows that more than half of all persons with sickle cell will require a blood transfusion in their lifetime and the majority will require multiple transfusions, using an average of four units per month.

“With blood donation being crucial in supporting sickle cell patients, it is important we have donors on call for those times when their matches need blood,” said Martin Grable, president and CEO of the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas. “It is through the Carolinas Sickle Cell Collaborative – an invaluable partnership with Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine Cancer Institute and members of our community – that we can make a difference in the lives of local sickle cell patients.”

For more information about or to get involved in the Carolinas Sickle Cell Collaborative, contact Adam Eberhart, by calling 704-607-5613 or emailing aeberhart@cbcc.us.

About Carolinas HealthCare System

Carolinas HealthCare System (carolinashealthcare.org), one of the nation’s leading and most innovative healthcare organizations, provides a full spectrum of healthcare and wellness programs throughout North and South Carolina. Its diverse network of nearly 900 care locations includes academic medical centers, hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, physician practices, surgical and rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, nursing homes and behavioral health centers, as well as hospice and palliative care services. Carolinas Healthcare System works to improve and enhance the overall health and wellbeing of its communities through high quality patient care, education and research programs, and numerous collaborative partnerships and initiatives.

About Community Blood Center of the Carolinas

The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas (CBCC) is a non-profit community-based blood center and the primary blood supplier to 22 regional hospitals, serving 16 North Carolina and three South Carolina counties. CBCC focuses exclusively on gathering red blood cells, platelets and plasma from volunteer donors to save local lives – every drop of blood collected remains here to help people in the Carolinas. CBCC is a member of America’s Blood Centers, North America’s largest network of community-based, independent blood centers providing more than 50% of the nation’s blood supply.

For more information on hosting a blood drive or donating blood in your area, visit www.cbcc.us or call 704-972-4700.

Follow the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BloodCenter and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CBCCarolinas.