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WATCH: Urgent Blood Donation Event at Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center Delivers Huge Results

By  //  August 7, 2024

Health First senior executive leaders first in line to roll up their sleeves to donate

WATCH: Health First Spokesman Lance Skelly, “This drive today directly supports Health First, as LifeSouth has committed to delivering half of what it receives back to Health First, while the remaining donations will be used to support the blood community overall.

This morning before sunrise, efforts were already underway to convert the Holmes Regional Medical Center’s auditorium – typically reserved for meetings or other special events – into a full-scale blood donation center.

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The email went out to all Health First associates and the Brevard County community via media advisory around 9 a.m. on August 6: Urgent Blood Donation Event Tomorrow at Holmes Regional Medical Center. And the response was nothing short of overwhelming.

In response to a limited supply of community platelets following last week’s OneBlood cyberattack, Health First arranged a partnership with LifeSouth Community Blood Centers to host a blood drive inside the Holmes Regional Medical Center.

LifeSouth, a nonprofit community blood blank serving more than 150 hospitals throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee, stepped in to help offset OneBlood’s disruption in blood supplies and will collect platelets, whole blood, and red cells during the drive.

Within four hours of communications going out to Health First’s 9,500 associates, as well as the Brevard Community at large, all 150 scheduled slots were filled … and still more continued trying to schedule or inquire about walk in opportunities.

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Health First’s three-day new President and CEO Terry Forde, right, was among Health First’s senior executive leaders who rolled up their sleeves to donate much needed blood. (Health First image)
Health First’s President of Community Health Dr. Drew Fink was among Health First’s senior executive leaders who rolled up their sleeves to donate much needed blood. (Health First image)

This morning before sunrise, efforts were already underway to convert the Holmes Regional Medical Center’s auditorium – typically reserved for meetings or other special events – into a full-scale blood donation center.

And by 8 a.m. the early birds – Health First’s senior executive leaders – began arriving to roll up their sleeves and be among the first in line to donate.

Health First’s three-day new President and CEO Terry Forde and President of Community Health Dr. Drew Fink. Then Paula Just, Health First’s Chief Experience and Administrative Officer; and Matt Gerrell, President and CEO of Health First Health Plans.

In another wave, Chief Clinical/Chief Nursing Officer Cheyana Fischer; Chief Legal Officer Nick Romanello, and Chief Information Officer Michael Carr.

All were there to help set the tone, serve as an example, and underscore the need for today’s blood donation event.

“This drive today directly supports Health First, as LifeSouth has committed to delivering half of what it receives back to Health First, while the remaining donations will be used to support the blood community overall,” said Health First spokesman Lance Skelly.

“LifeSouth will supplement the blood products that we are currently receiving from OneBlood, and all scheduled mobile blood drives with OneBlood’s Big Red Bus will continue as planned .. including two next week. We will also continue to communicate reminders for upcoming blood donation events to our associates and communities as they are planned.”

“This drive today directly supports Health First, as LifeSouth has committed to delivering half of what it receives back to Health First, while the remaining donations will be used to support the blood community overall,” said Health First spokesman Lance Skelly. “The response we saw today – from our associates, our leaders, our community – there’s just not enough words. This was simply amazing.” 

LifeSouth does not typically operate within the East Florida region, making today’s efforts particularly special. Through conversations with Health First and LifeSouth leaders over the weekend and early this week, the event was quickly secured and operationalized.

“The response we saw today – from our associates, our leaders, our community – there’s just not enough words. This was simply amazing,” said Skelly.

“We cannot thank everyone on our communications team who helped spread the word, our local media partners – especially Florida Today and Space Coast Daily, the LifeSouth and Health First team that arrived early to set up the venue, and everyone who heard the call and made today the day to give blood. We saw many first-timers here today and even a solid number of walk-ins who just saw the media coverage and wanted to get involved and make a difference. This is our Space Coast community!”

In response to a limited supply of community platelets following last week’s OneBlood cyberattack, Health First arranged a partnership with LifeSouth Community Blood Centers to host a blood drive inside the Holmes Regional Medical Center.
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