March – Tamara West, Lead Staff II | Reading, PA
MKBC: Hi, Tamara! What do you do at Miller-Keystone, and how long have you been with us?
TW: I am currently a Lead Staff II and have been employed with Miller-Keystone for 13 years.
MKBC: That’s great! So, why Miller-Keystone Blood Center?
TW: Miller-Keystone Blood Center is a great organization to work for. At Miller-Keystone, I don’t
feel like “just another employee,” I feel like a family member.
MKBC: There are plenty of charities out there - why is donating blood important to you?
TW: Donating blood gives a person a fighting chance. That person could be someone’s mother,
father, sister, brother or friend. It could even be me one day.
MKBC: Well said! Tell us, what is your most memorable experience at Miller-Keystone?
TW: It was an honor when Diane Wiest asked me to be a Team Lead in Reading. I was at St.
Joseph’s Hospital blood drive when an emergency prevented the Registered Nurse to make it to the
drive. Diane called me and asked if I could do it and that she had a lot of confidence in me. This
meant a lot to me when I officially became a Team Lead in 2012 because at the time the position was
reserved for RNs.
MKBC: That is a wonderful memory! Why is it that you choose to donate?
TW: My mother has MS – she needed Plasma and Red Blood Cell treatments when I was younger,
for 2 years. The generosity of local donors helped keep up her strength when she was at her worst.
MKBC: Tamara, thank you. Before we break, please describe Miller-Keystone Blood Center in one
word.
TW: Compassionate.
Thanks for tuning-in! Come back next month – same time, same place – for our next
#MKBCMonthlyMention!
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