Local blood supplies continue to sit at a critically low level, and officials at UCHealth’s Garth Englund Blood Donation Centers are asking the public to consider donating blood to help save lives.
A number of traumatic events in the past couple weeks in northern Colorado have pushed the centers’ supplies into the dangerously low levels. In addition, the number of donations typically goes down in summer because of vacations and summer break, adding more stress to the supply levels.
Donations of all blood types are needed and important, according to Larisa Maristany, the supervisor at the blood donor centers. However, the center especially needs donors with the following blood type:
• O blood types – both negative and positive.
The center also needs whole blood and platelet donations in general.
Donations can be made at either of Garth Englund’s blood donor centers in northern Colorado – the center at 1025 Pennock Place in Fort Collins or the center at Medical Center of the Rockies, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., in Loveland. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are strongly encouraged. Interested donors should call 970.495.8965 to schedule an appointment at either location.
To donate, a person must be at least 18 years old (or 17 with a parent’s permission) and show a photo identification. New donors must weigh at least 120 pounds and be in good health. Prior donors must weigh at least 110 pounds. Whole blood donations take 30-40 minutes. Platelet donations take anywhere from 45-110 minutes.
All blood donated through UCHealth’s Garth Englund Blood Donation Centers stays local. It helps patients at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Greeley Emergency and Surgery Center and Estes Park Medical Center.
For more information about the process and requirements for blood donations, go to uchealth.org/beahero.
About UCHealth
UCHealth is a Front Range health system that delivers the highest quality patient care with the highest quality patient experience. University of Colorado Health combines Memorial Hospital, Poudre Valley Hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies, University of Colorado Hospital and a network of more than 40 medical clinics into one organization dedicated to health and providing unmatched patient care in the Rocky Mountain West. UCHealth partners with the University of Colorado School of Medicine and numerous community organizations to provide care. Separately, these institutions can continue providing superior care to patients and service to the communities they serve. Together, they push the boundaries of medicine, attracting more research funding, hosting more clinical trials and improving health through innovation.
Media contact: Kelly Tracer 970.237.7114 or [email protected]