Rice University Emergency Medical Services (REMS) wrapped an active November which included both a blood drive in coordination with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center and the annual Collegiate EMS Week.
REMS hosted a blood drive on campus Nov. 18 on the fifth floor of the Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science. More than 225 people made appointments to donate blood. A total of 164 units were collected, which can save up to 438 lives, making this one of REMS’ most successful blood drives.
“REMS is committed to hosting blood drives because they increase access to lifesaving donations on campus and make it easy for the community to contribute,” said REMS senior lieutenant Justin Xia.
Collegiate EMS Week takes place every second full week in November as a recognition and celebration of campus-based emergency medical services, providing an annual opportunity to highlight the organizations’ activities and educate their communities.
“Collegiate EMS week is a time to interact with the Rice campus in a different way,” said senior Connie Ni, REMS education lieutenant. “Engaging with the community in ways beyond responding to emergencies is hopefully inspiring.”
Activities included annual favorites of EMS trivia and basic life support bag races. This year, REMS collaborated with Rice Zine Fest to host a medical collaging event, and the university community had an opportunity to hear REMS featured on KTRU. Housing and Dining joined in the week by serving special EMS cookies at the north servery.
“We appreciate all of the support for the REMS team, and hope that people who stopped by events for a blood pressure check, to win a prize at trivia or to show off their CPR proficiency enjoyed these events as much as we did,” said Lisa Basgall, REMS director.