Blood center hopes to store donated stem cells locally
THE INLAND NORTHWEST Blood Center hopes to make it easier for cancer patients and others to receive stem cell transplant therapy without traveling to Seattle.
A $6,000 donation today from Bank of America will help the blood center buy equipment to process and store stem cells donated here. The blood center currently collects stem cells from donor blood, but ships them to Seattle for processing and storage.
The blood center wants to raise a total of $53,000 to buy freezers and processing equipment.
“There are a few transplants that take place here, but not many,” said Dr. Diane Eklund, the blood center’s medical director. Doctors would feel more comfortable doing the treatment here if donated stem cells didn’t have to be shipped from Seattle, Eklund said.
The process is unrelated to controversial embryonic stem cell research. Adult stem cells from blood and bone marrow have been used for years to treat leukemia, lymphoma and other diseases.
That purple envelope
Independent home care workers who are paid by Washington state to care for elderly and disabled people should be on the lookout for a purple envelope in the mail Saturday.
The envelope will contain enrollment forms for health insurance that was won for home care providers during the 2004 legislative session.
Caregivers who work at least 86 hours a month and who have no other health insurance will be eligible. That could include up to 10,000 people statewide, said Adam Glickman, spokesman for Service Employees International Union Local 775, which represents the home care workers. The workers won the right to unionize in 2001 when voters approved Initiative 775.
The monthly premium for the health insurance will be $17. The state will contribute $400 per worker per month.
The insurance for workers in this region will be provided by Premera Blue Cross.
High turnover among home care workers is a big problem. Advocates say the health insurance will help more people stay in the caregiving jobs that can keep elderly people out of nursing homes.
Eligible caregivers need to submit the enrollment form by Dec. 17 to be covered on Feb. 1, Glickman said.
The return address on the envelope will be “SEIU Local 775 Multi-employer Health Benefits Trust.” For more information, call the health benefits trust toll free at (866) 771-7359.
Help quitting
The annual Great American Smokeout is Thursday, the day promoted by the American Cancer Society to encourage smokers to quit for at least one day.
There’s a new national quitline number (1-800-QUITNOW or 1-800-784-8669) to help tobacco users quit. In addition, a new Web site ( www.smokefree.gov) offers advice.
The quitline hooks you up with a state-run quitline, if one exists in your area. If there is no state-run quitline, the call goes to the National Cancer Institute quitline.