Red Cross needs donors for blood drive at FCMC
Forrest City Medical Center will be the site for an American Red Cross Blood Drive next week,
The drive is scheduled for Thursday, July 29, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
"We are so grateful to have had consistently successful blood drives this year," said Caitlyn Sweet, FCMC Marketing Director. "We always have a great turnout, and it makes us proud to see so many in our community take blood donation seriously.
"Donating blood can be such a small thing for the average healthy person, but it can have a major impact on the medical community nationwide. It saves lives,” continued Sweet. "We hope for continued success for the Red Cross Blood Drives we will be hosting throughout the year, and we wish other drives in the area success as well.”
"The American Red Cross is experiencing a severe blood shortage that is negatively affecting blood product availability across the country," said Jennifer Freeze, district manager for the Red Cross covering Northeast Arkansas. "Right now, the Red Cross is working around the clock to provide blood products to hospitals responding to an unusually high number of traumas and emergency room visits, as well as overdoses and resulting transplants."
According to Freeze, not only is there an increase demand, but historically, donations dip during this time of year.
"The summer months are always a challenging time to collect blood, however, this summer there is great hospital demand for blood as patients who previously deferred care during the pandemic present with more advance disease progression, therefore requiring increased blood transfusions. Additionally, some individuals may have postponed elective surgeries until now, which also adds to the increased need for blood," said Freeze.
According to Freeze, the Red Cross is asking individuals to make donation appointments for those relying on lifesaving transfusions.
"As of June 25, we discontinued testing all blood donations for Covid-19 antibodies," said Freeze. "The conclusion of the antibody testing is in response to improved public health with increased Covid-19 vaccination rates and decreased demand for convalescent plasma. We know many donors have appreciated that our antibody testing has
(Continued from Page 1) provided them valuable insights regarding their health during this trying time."
Sweet said that while the facility is open to the public, the hospital still requires visitors to wear masks in public areas and sign in upon entry.
Donors may make an appointment ahead of time either through the Red Cross Blood Donor app, by visiting www.redcrossblood.org, or by phone.
The day of the blood drive donors may use the Red Cross RapidPass® function to answer most of the questions before arriving at the hospital.
Donors can save up to 15 minutes at the blood drive by completing the questionnaire. With the pass, donors complete the pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of donation, from a mobile device or computer. To complete a RapidPass®, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App.
The Red Cross will continue implement measures to ensure blood drives and donation center safety. To donate blood, individuals need to bring a blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification that are required at check-in. Individuals may schedule an appointment to give blood with the Red Cross by visiting
RedCrossBlood.org, using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.
Organizations wanting to host a blood drive are also encouraged to call the 1-800RED-CROSS and speak to representatives to be connected with the area's district manager to discuss details about a site, donor goals and more.
"All who come to give blood between July 7 and 31 will receive a $10 Amazon.com gift card via email," said Freeze. "Additionally, those who donate will receive automatic entry for a chance to win gas for a year (a $5,000 value). There will be three winners. Additional information and details are available at rcblood.org/fuel"