Blood Centers in Texas Pleading for Help

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Versiti Blood Centers to add capacity and extend center hours to aid in collections; additional donations to be shipped to Texas at week's end

News provided by

Versiti, Inc.

Feb 23, 2021, 13:25 ET

MILWAUKEE, Feb. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blood centers across Texas are pleading with the rest of the country for help. As they reel from the aftermath of recent storms, many centers in Texas are still without power and don't have the needed blood and blood products for their hospitals.

"It is a truly difficult situation for our counterparts down south," said Dr. Dan Waxman, vice president of transfusion medicine and senior medical director at Versiti. "Late last week, we received an urgent call from a hospital in Texas. They were getting ready to perform two transplant surgeries on critically ill patients, but they didn't have the needed blood products and were on the verge of calling off the transplants. Staff at Versiti immediately raced to assist. The critical need for blood and platelets continues across Texas, which is why we're urgently calling on our donors to help us help Texas."

Versiti Blood Centers is expanding capacity and extending hours at its centers this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, February 24 – 26, to help collect donations to send to blood centers in Texas at the end of the week. O-negative and O-positive donors are most needed now. O-negative and O-positive blood is the universal blood type, meaning donations can be transfused to all patients, including trauma victims, cancer patients and those undergoing surgeries.

"Texas residents are going through so much right now," said Waxman. "This is one simple way that we can rally together and show our support. If not us, then who? If not now, then when? Each donation can help save up to three lives, which means that all of us – from more than a thousand miles away – can have a profound, life-saving impact."

To help ensure donor safety, everyone entering Versiti facilities must wear a mask and have their temperature taken. All Versiti donation locations are practicing social distancing and closely adhering to CDC recommendations and cleaning protocols.

Donating blood takes about an hour with the actual donation taking 10-15 minutes. Anyone age 17 or older in good health who meets eligibility requirements is encouraged to give. Parental consent is required for donors age 16 to donate blood. Donors should bring a photo ID that includes their birth date.

Appointments are encouraged at any of Versiti's donor centers or at any local community blood drive. Walk-ins are always welcome. To schedule an appointment to donate blood, visit Versiti online at versiti.org.

About Versiti
Versiti, a national leader in blood health innovation, was formed with the mission to improve the health of patients and enable the success of our healthcare partners nationally. We provide innovative, value added solutions in the fields of transfusion medicine, transplantation, and blood-related diseases to meet the needs of each of our customers. The collective efforts across Versiti result in improved patient outcomes, expanded access to care, and cost efficiencies for healthcare systems nationwide. For more information, visit versiti.org.

SOURCE Versiti, Inc.