Monday, May 18, 2020
SJRMC to Host Two Day Blood Drive
San Juan Regional Medical Center will host a two day blood drive on Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28. Vitalant (formerly United Blood Services) will have two bloodmobile units on site in the hospital’s main parking lot at 801 W. Maple in Farmington, NM to receive donations. The blood drive will run from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday and 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Appointments are highly recommended to help maintain social distancing. Donors can schedule appointments online by going to www.bloodhero.com and entering sponsor code SJRMC, or by calling or texting Kristan at 505.686.9777. Walk-ins will be accommodated if possible. Vitalant will not test for COVID-19 but donors will be screened for symptoms and potential exposure to keep everyone safe. General requirements for blood donations are:
- Donor must be at least 16 (under 18 requires signed permission of parent or guardian)
- Donor must weigh at least 110 pounds
- Donor must be in general good health
- Donor must bring I.D.
- Donor should not be under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs at time of donation
To ensure a positive donation experience, donors should drink plenty of water 24 to 48 hours beforehand and 8 to 16 ounces an hour before the appointment. Donors should also eat a healthy, low fat meal about two hours before the donation. It takes about an hour – from the time a donor arrives until they leave – to complete a donation, although the actual donation itself lasts only about 10 minutes.
Donating blood is one of the easiest ways to give back to your community. In an emergency, it’s the blood already on hospital shelves that saves lives.
For the latest updates from San Juan Regional Medical Center on COVID-19, please visit our website at www.sanjuanregional.com/coronavirus, follow us on social media or call our COVID-19 information hotline at 505.516.0938 or toll free at 888.949.5387.