When Tamirra Ranton was in the 8th grade, her teacher awarded her a certificate and told her, “You’re going to do something great in science!” At age 22, Tamirra remembered that teacher’s prediction and said, “It was like I had a revelation.”

She decided to pursue a career in healthcare and began working at Mercy Hospital as a phlebotomist. She went back to school to become a Medical Lab Technician (MLT). Among her other areas of expertise, including training in pediatrics and geriatrics, she helped train nursing students in venipunctures before they could receive their degrees.

“In order to get your RN, you have to get a certain amount of sticks, so they would have me train them.”

Tamirra has worked in clinical lab services for more than 15 years. In May of 2023, the American Red Cross hired her to be a phlebotomy Team Supervisor, which required months of specialized training.

“The favorite part about my job is the science. I love science.” Tamirra said she loves learning about the human body, how cells and veins operate, how arteries carry oxygen through the blood to the organs, and how the chambers of the heart function. She said, “It’s amazing how the body works.”

She’s also excited about what’s ahead for her as a Red Cross supervisor – coaching, teaching and team building.

“We’ll be working on projects and different things just to make the experience better for the employees as well as the donors and the recipients.”

As a supervisor, Tamirra always wants her team to remember how important the job of a phlebotomist really is, even if they never need a blood transfusion or end up in the hospital. “We have to take pride in what we do. We’re actually affecting life, and life is so valuable,” she said.

“We have people depending on us to do our jobs.”

Tamirra has a unique perspective because after years of working in a hospital, including during the pandemic, she witnessed what happens when there isn’t enough blood on the shelves to meet the critical needs of patients.

“I used to be the person sitting in the blood bank at the hospital when the orders would come down.” Sometimes those orders couldn’t be met because of a shortage of blood. That meant she had to scramble by calling other hospitals to try and locate the requested blood.

“We would have people on the operating table. We would have people waiting for transplants. We would have people waiting for an array of services that required a transfusion or possible transfusion.”

Every 2 seconds in the United States, someone needs blood and/or platelets. Tamirra said working for the Red Cross and supervising a team of blood collectors means her life has come full circle.

“When the heart stops pumping the blood, it’s over. So, if I have a job where I can continue to make sure that the heart has something to pump, that’s amazing.”

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National #BloodCollectorsWeek is Sept. 1-7, 2024. Celebrate those who ensure donors have great experiences and patients get the blood they need. Schedule an appointment to donate blood!

- Written by Jenny Farley