[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 127 (Tuesday, September 22, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10726-S10727]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 119--RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF 
                 THE AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD SERVICES

  Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. Jeffords, Mr.  Lott, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. 
Coats, Mrs. Murray, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Harkin, Ms. Collins, Mr. Gregg, 
and Mr. Bingaman) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                            S. Con. Res. 119

       Whereas the American Red Cross is a nonprofit humanitarian 
     organization of 32,000 paid staff, 1,300,000 volunteers, and 
     4,300,000 blood donors which considers its role in the 
     provision of blood services to be a public trust;
       Whereas the American Red Cross Blood Services began by 
     collecting and distributing blood to help save the lives of 
     soldiers on the battlefields of World War II, and has evolved 
     to become a leader in the healthcare industry;
       Whereas following World War II the American Red Cross 
     created the first national civilian blood program, opening 
     its first blood center in 1948;
       Whereas through the generosity of over 4,300,000 voluntary 
     blood donors the American Red Cross is able to provide half 
     the Nation's blood supply, and every day, in communities 
     throughout this country, many thousands of people receive 
     lifesaving blood in the 3,000 hospitals served by the 38 
     American Red Cross Blood Regions;
       Whereas in May 1991, the American Red Cross announced its 
     ambitious ``Transformation'' program, a 7-year, $287,000,000 
     comprehensive modernization of every aspect of the American 
     Red Cross Blood Services blood collection, testing, 
     processing, and distribution systems;
       Whereas one of the most massive undertakings of 
     Transformation was the Manufacturing and Computer 
     Standardization (MACS) initiative which integrated 28 
     different computer systems into a single, national system 
     linking American Red Cross Blood Regions nationwide to the 
     world's largest blood information database for transfusion 
     medicine research, and standardized manufacturing processes;
       Whereas under Transformation the more than 50 individual, 
     nonstandardized laboratories operated by local American Red 
     Cross Blood Regions were replaced by 8 state-of-the-art 
     National Testing Laboratories, which effectively implement 
     the latest medical technology to perform the testing of 
     approximately 6,000,000 units of blood annually, serving both 
     American Red Cross blood centers and several non-American Red 
     Cross blood centers as well, and are located in Atlanta, 
     Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dedham, Massachusetts; 
     Detroit, Michigan; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Portland, 
     Oregon; St. Louis, Missouri; and St. Paul, Minnesota;
       Whereas the American Red Cross Blood Services has created a 
     Quality Assurance program recognized throughout the world as 
     a leader in assuring quality in the manufacture of blood 
     products;
       Whereas the creation of the Charles Drew Biomedical 
     Institute has allowed the American Red Cross to provide 
     training and other educational resources to American Red 
     Cross Blood Services' personnel through ``One Touch'' which 
     is an interactive, distance learning system that allows 
     instructors to train personnel across the country from the 
     institute's location at American Red Cross Biomedical 
     Headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia;
       Whereas Transformation saw the development of a centrally 
     managed blood inventory system to ensure the consistent 
     availability of blood and blood components in every American 
     Red Cross Blood Services Region throughout the country, and 
     the creation of the new centralized organizational structure 
     within American Red Cross Blood Services;
       Whereas the American Red Cross Jerome H. Holland Laboratory 
     in Rockville, Maryland, is the world's premiere blood 
     research facility, consistently contributing to the progress 
     of biomedical science, especially transfusion safety and new 
     blood products, and shares its expertise with a number of 
     countries around the world;
       Whereass the American Red Cross manages an almost 
     $30,000,000 investment in research and development, which 
     includes $8,000,000 in Federal research grants, and is 
     committed to working with others in the biotechnology field 
     to ensure that this pioneering research is translated into 
     lifesaving products available for patient use as quickly as 
     possible;

[[Page S10727]]

       Whereas the American Red Cross is investigating and 
     implementing the newest technologies to ensure blood safety, 
     including Genome Amplification Technology to test for the 
     human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and for hepatitis C virus 
     (HCV), solvent detergent treated fresh frozen plasma, virus 
     inactivated plasma for transfusion, use of iodine in plasma 
     filtration, and inactivation of viruses in cellular products 
     (such as red blood cells) through a light-activated dye 
     called 491;
       Whereas the American Red Cross is in the constant process 
     of modernization and improvement and at the forefront of new 
     product development, and is prepared to enter the 21st 
     century as a cutting-edge organization providing safe, high 
     quality blood and blood products to the hundreds of thousands 
     of patients in need;
       Whereas Congress and the American Red Cross join in 
     celebrating the phenomenal success in the reduction of HIV 
     infection through the use of blood and blood products as 
     evidenced by the fact that in 1991 an American's risk of HIV 
     transmission through a blood transfusion was 1 in 220,000 and 
     today the risk is 1 in 676,000, nearly non-existent; and
       Whereas Congress and the American Red Cross encourage 
     healthy Americans to donate blood by calling the American Red 
     Cross: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) joins with the American Red Cross in celebration of the 
     50th anniversary of American Red Cross Blood Services and the 
     impact of their efforts on modern medicine; and
       (2) looks forward to the tremendous possibilities and 
     potential for discovery and innovation as the American Red 
     Cross Blood Services enters the next 50 years of providing 
     the Nation with a safe blood supply.

 Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 50th 
anniversary of the American Red Cross Blood Services. The Red Cross 
Blood Services has been saving lives since its inception during World 
War II. Today, in a rapidly changing health care environment, with ever 
increasing challenges, the Red Cross continues to serve patients 
throughout our country.
  The Red Cross is America's first nationwide, volunteer blood 
collection and distribution system. During World War II, the Red Cross 
saved soldiers' lives by collecting and distributing blood. This led to 
the first National Civilian Blood Program, with the opening of the 
first blood center in 1948. Today, the Red Cross serves over 3,000 
hospitals nationwide by supplying almost half of the nation's blood for 
transfusion. This life-giving service is made possible by volunteers 
who generously donate nearly six million units of blood each year.
  In 1991, the Red Cross began a comprehensive technology and systems 
review, to ensure the organization entered the next century with state-
of-the-art programs, systems, and facilities. This program, entitled, 
``Transformation,'' is a $287 million modernization of every aspect of 
blood collection, processing, and distributing. According to Red Cross 
President Elizabeth Dole, it is the most ambitious project that the Red 
Cross has ever undertaken. Transformation's goals included the creation 
of a new centralized management structure, a new information system, 
and a program of the highest quality. Without objection, I'd like to 
submit a copy of Mrs. Dole's remarks at the 50th Anniversary 
Bicentennial Celebration of the Red Cross, which includes comments on 
Transformation, for the Record.
  Transformation successfully consolidated 50 individual, non-
standardized labs operated by local Blood Regions into eight state-of-
the-art National Testing Laboratories that perform 70 million 
laboratory tests each year. These new labs serve the Red Cross as well 
as several non-Red Cross blood centers. As part of this Transformation, 
the American Red Cross has undertaken a Manufacturing and Computer 
Standardization initiative. This program has integrated 28 different 
computer systems into one national system, linking Red Cross Blood 
Regions across the nation to the world's largest information database 
for transfusion medical research.
  In addition, Transformation has led to standardized manufacturing 
processes throughout the Red Cross system, thereby promoting a 
consistent standard of high quality blood services. A centrally managed 
blood inventory system operated by the Red Cross was designed to 
facilitate consistent availability of blood in every region of the 
country. Transformation has also created the Quality Assurance Program 
and a new Charles Drew Biomedical Institute which provides training and 
other education to personnel, using state of the art technology which 
does not require staff and volunteers to travel for training. 
Instructors can now train personnel in a wide range of fields across 
the country.
  Through the American Red Cross Jerome H. Holland Laboratory, a 
premiere blood research facility, significant progress has been made in 
improving transfusion safety, and fostering the development of new 
blood products. Red Cross has shared the knowledge and expertise gained 
through studies conducted by Holland Laboratory scientists and 
physicians with the transfusion services of countries throughout the 
world. The Red Cross translates research into life-saving products for 
patients because of its tremendous investment in research and 
development. Let me just note that the risk of becoming infected with 
HIV through a blood transfusion has been reduced from one in 220,000 in 
1991, to one in 676,000 today--a tremendous improvement in the safety 
of the blood supply.
  I congratulate the 32,000 paid staff and 1.3 million volunteers on 
their first fifty years of providing blood services, and especially 
want to recognize Mrs. Elizabeth Dole and her tremendous management 
team for their vision in the implementation of the Transformation 
program.
  In recognition of their accomplishments, I am submitting the 
following concurrent resolution, with ten of my colleagues, Mr. 
Jeffords, Mr. Lott, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Coats, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
McConnell, Mr. Harkin, Ms. Collins, Mr. Gregg, and Mr. Bingaman, to 
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the American Red Cross Blood 
Services.

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