The Red Cross region in Connecticut has temporarily stopped performing a blood-withdrawing procedure as state regulators determine whether the nonprofit is using qualified staff to perform it.
The procedure, known as a double-red cell blood collection, requires donors to give two units of red blood cells during a single visit. The Red Cross uses non-licensed staff to perform these procedures in all but a few locations across the country, said Donna Morrissey, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross.
That raised concerns from unionized employees who have been in contentious contract negotiations with the Red Cross for months, and who have complained that the blood-collection agency has been eliminating registered nursing positions and filling them with less qualified and unlicensed individuals.
Some workers in AFSCME Local 3145, which includes 225 nurses, technicians and phlebotomists, alerted the state Department of Public Health about the situation.
In August, DPH sent a letter to Red Cross officials telling them that double-red procedures lie “within the scope of a licensed practitioner and cannot be delegated … to unlicensed assistive personnel.”
Morrissey said the organization is working closely with DPH and the nonprofit is confident that their “highly trained staff is qualified and competent to do this work safely.”
“The Red Cross extensively trains its work force to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements of the Food and Drug Administration, the American Association of Blood Banks, as well as its own high standards of performance,” Morrissey said.
Morrissey said DPH has advised that the Red Cross may continue to operate as it has been while they discuss licensing requirements.
She said, however, it has ceased the procedure due to concerns raised by staff.
During a double-red cell donation, a needle is inserted into the donor’s arm and blood is withdrawn directly into a cell separator next to the donor bed. The whole blood is separated into red blood cells and plasma.
The red blood cells are then drawn into two separate bags, while the plasma and saline solution is returned to the donor.
Because the procedure involves the administration of certain medications and/or biologicals, such as sodium chloride, it must be performed by a licensed professional, DPH said in its letter.
DPH requested that Red Cross officials provide it with “a plan of correction that will resolve the current practice … of having the Double-Red Procedure administered by unlicensed staff,” by Oct. 1.
The letter also states that failure to do so could cause DPH to seek “legal action against the unlicensed individuals for the practice of nursing.”
Morrissey said that a registered nurse is scheduled at every blood drive performing double-red cell procedures and that each Red Cross blood region has dedicated medical staff, including physicians, who are available 24-hours-a-day to consult about any medical concerns relating to blood drives.
Unionized Red Cross workers have been working without a contract since March 31, and say the nonprofit is trying to cut or freeze their wages, slash their health care benefits, and force them to work unrealistic hours.
Negotiations between the two sides have already broken down four times, setting the stage for a potential strike in the coming months if a deal can’t be reached soon.
Debra Lenentine, a phlebotomist and president of AFSCME Local 3145, said DPH’s findings validate the union’s concerns. She called DPH’s intervention “an important step toward protecting donors, workers and blood safety.”
Christine Holschlag, a union officer and phlebotomist who has been with the Red Cross for five years, said the main issue for workers is public safety.
“I feel the Red Cross put us in a position to go to outside agencies to get our concerns addressed,” Holschlag said.
Morrissey told the Hartford Business Journal in July that the Red Cross has been battling financial difficulties and has instituted cost-cutting measures over the past year, including laying off roughly 1,000 employees, to deal with a $200-million deficit.
In an internal memo obtained by The Hartford Business Journal, a Red Cross official said being required to use licensed staff on double-red blood cell procedures could increase costs.
“Should the state’s ruling stand, the Red Cross may over time hire licensed staff to conduct this work,” the Aug. 28 memo said. “This effort could both increase the cost for area hospitals and displace a number of our current non-licensed staff, who have been ably and safely doing this work for years.”
Reader response:
“I plan on holding off on donation plasma until this labor dispute is over. As far as running a deficit, why is it that the top Red Cross officials are still receiving large raises and bonuses?” — David G. Testa
