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Photo by Anne Burke UCLA Today
Mike Basile plans to take his kids fishing with the time
off he earns donating platelets. |
UCLA4U
Giving platelets: It's like being a couch potato at home
by anne burke
ucla today
Mike Basile, a lead locksmith with Facilities Management, was back
at work after the long Labor Day weekend. Lying on a comfy, contoured
chair, Basile was watching a DVD of “187,” a bloody
shoot-’em-up with Samuel L. Jackson. After the movie, Basile
checked out some Olympics photos on the Web.
He got paid for this?
Yes, he did. What’s more, the 17-year UCLA employee earned
half-a-day paid time off and got a chewy, chocolate chip cookie.
Basile was taking advantage of one of the niftiest deals available
to UCLA employees — the new “e-Chair” for platelet
donors at the recently relocated UCLA Blood and Platelet Center.
From the comfort of a padded, reclining chair, employees who donate
platelets — the sticky cells that cause blood to clot —
can watch a movie from a library of about 100 flicks, write personal
e-mail, even do a little online shopping.
“It’s real nice,” said Basile, who looked and
sounded relaxed despite the profusion of tubes sticking out of his
right arm. By the time he finished, the father of three had spent
nearly three hours staring at the 14-inch screen. Donating platelets
involves returning unused blood components to the body, so it takes
much longer than donating blood.
The unveiling of the e-Chairs — eight in all — coincided
with the Blood and Platelet Center’s move earlier this month
from the 200 Medical Plaza building to the second floor of a Westwood
Village store at 1045 Gayley Ave. across from Whole Foods Market.
The need for blood and platelets is acute: The center supplies all
blood products to the Westwood and Santa Monica hospitals.
Employees earn four hours of paid leave each time they donate
blood or platelets, up to three days a year. To learn more, call
the center at (310) 825-0888 or send an e-mail to gotblood@ucla.edu.
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