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NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital was today awarded the Platinum Blood Drive Award from America's Blood Centers for its efforts in organizing and executing record-setting blood drives. America's Blood Centers is a national network of community blood banks that, together, collects about half of the nation's blood supply.

This past September, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital collected a New York City-record 1,076 pints of blood, commemorating the anniversary of September 11, and helping to alleviate a severe shortage of O Negative blood, said Dr. Michael Berman, executive vice president and hospital director, who accepted the award. I am proud of our employees, their families, community members, and everyone who gave blood.

America's Blood Centers' 2002 Awards of Excellence program honors the nation's top organizations and individuals for their commitment to community blood programs and for their dedication to promoting the importance and year-round need for blood. Other 2003 Platinum Award winners are Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc., Transportation Workers Union #567, Roslyn Savings Bank, and Universal Orlando.

Nominees for the America's Blood Centers prizes were selected by community blood centers nationwide for their contribution to the community blood supply. Selection criteria are based upon the number of units donated annually; the increase in annual donations; prioritizing blood donation among management and employees; and top management cooperation and support of the blood drive programs. Sponsored blood drives are community blood centers' largest source of blood donations, helping ensure an adequate blood supply for more than 4.5 million patients annually.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is a 2,369-bed academic medical center created from the merger between The New York Hospital and The Presbyterian Hospital. It provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory, and preventive care in all areas of medicine at five major centers: New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, Columbia University Medical Center, Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, The Allen Pavilion, and the Westchester Division. One of the largest and most comprehensive health-care institutions in the world, the Hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education, and community service. The NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System which includes acute-care and community hospitals, long-term care facilities, home-health agencies, ambulatory sites, and specialty institutions ensures high-quality, cost-effective, and conveniently accessible care to communities throughout the tri-state metropolitan region. The System serves over 20 percent of the patients in the New York Metropolitan area. The Hospital has academic affiliations with two of the country's leading medical colleges: Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Columbia University College of Physicians Surgeons.

America's Blood Centers is the nation's largest provider of blood products and services with more than 450 blood donation sites. America's Blood Centers' members are community-based, non-profit blood centers, which together collect nearly half of the nation's blood supply.