LifeShare, Fort Johnson partnership supports patients, readiness, healthcare

FORT JOHNSON, La. — The American Red Cross reports there is an emergency blood shortage across the nation, and the Fort Johnson community is responding to the call with a blood drive Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the fire station.

Donating is fast and convenient because of a partnership between the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson, Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital and the LifeShare Blood Center who share a long history of mutual support for each other and the community.

Over the past year Fort Johnson Soldiers, Family members and civilian employees have donated more than 1,885 units of blood, potentially saving 5,655 lives across the region.

Britney Isabell, spouse of Sgt. Dustin Isabell, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, is no stranger to blood donation as both a donor and a recipient.

“My husband and I used to donate blood every chance we had. We have a collection of t-shirts and other swag from various blood drives,” she said. “But at just 30 years old, I never in a million years thought I’d be the recipient of 4,500 units of blood and nine blood transfusions over the span of seven months.”

Isabell’s journey started in November 2023 after a visit to the BJACH emergency department where she was transferred to the CHRISTUS St. Francis Cabrini intensive care unit in Alexandria, Louisiana.

“I began this crazy journey of blood transfusions after they discovered my hemoglobin was down to 5.3 grams per deciliter. Hemoglobin is a protein in your red blood cells and the normal range for women is between 12.3 and 15.3 grams per deciliter,” she said. “At that time, I didn’t realize just how bad it was going to get.”

Isabell has been in and out of the hospital eight times culminating in a 22-day hospitalization in May when she said she took charge of advocating for herself once and for all.

“I’m doing much better now, my last hospital stay was over Mother’s Day at Rapides Regional Health System in Alexandria,” she said. “They removed six ulcers which cleared up the bleeding but resulted in a Chron’s diagnosis and the discovery of acute kidney failure.”

Isabell said, she starts dialysis next month and is hoping for positive outcomes that will forgo the need for an organ transplant.

“It has been a roller-coaster, that’s for sure,” she said. “I’m so thankful for the life-saving blood products I received, not only for myself but also for my Family.”

Through an agreement with BJACH, LifeShare, a nonprofit organization, waives processing and testing fees for blood products in exchange for access to the Fort Johnson community where they have great support for blood drives at individual units, the fire department, hospital, and other on post facilities.

But the relationship does not end there.

On Aug. 9, in conjunction with a routine blood drive at BJACH, LifeShare agreed to work with active-duty nurses to help them earn credit for annual individual critical task list requirements.

According to the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, all military occupational specialties and areas of concentration have a series of ICTLs that must be performed successfully and tested annually to accomplish their mission and duties.

Lt. Col. Sonia Montiel, 286th Medical Detachment, 32d Hospital Center, is a critical care nurse who performs her daily duties at the BJACH.

“I have been asked by hospital leadership to coordinate ICLT training for our active duty medical surgical and intensive care nurses,” she said. “One of the skills we’re required to perform is to collect whole blood, so I reached out to LifeShare Blood Center who have been very supportive by allowing five of our nurses to train during the blood drive.”

Montiel said it’s important for readiness to be trained on all critical skills.

“One of our nurses can be pulled at any time for deployment,” she said. “The expectation is that we are proficient on every aspect of this critical skill list to save lives on and off the battlefield.”

Montiel said this opportunity to train during the blood drive illustrates the important partnership between the installation and LifeShare Blood Center beyond blood collection.

Staff Sgt. Thomas Goodman, operating room specialist and noncommissioned officer in charge of the post operative nursing department, was one of the first donors at the blood drive last Friday.

“I usually donate, I like to help out,” he said. “I know how vitally important blood donation is. We use blood products in the operating room, and it is crucial to have an ample supply.”

Goodman said he’s been donating blood since he joined the Army.

“It’s really nice that LifeShare sends a mobile team to BJACH,” he said. “It makes donating blood very convenient. We can just come outside, donate and then it’s back to business as usual.”

Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Together, the Fort Johnson community will help ensure the shortfall of blood is replenished for the nation.

To learn more about blood donation, find a mobile blood drive in your area, host a blood drive, or connect with LifeShare Blood Center visit lifshare.org or call (800) 256-5433.

Editor's Note: LifeShare is a third-party nonprofit organization that works with Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital, the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson, and surrounding community but is not explicitly endorsed by the Department of the Defense and the Defense Health Agency.