Blood Needed As Elective Surgeries Resume

Hopkins County Memorial Hospital to host a blood drive, a safe and essential service saving patients’ lives

SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas (May 21, 2020) – The demand for blood is ramping up as doctors begin to schedule elective surgeries for their patients at local hospitals. Carter BloodCare wants to remind the community that giving blood is still safe, and the blood supply is an essential part of the healthcare community. Carter BloodCare continues to make social distancing and sanitization precautions top priority to keep all donors healthy and safe while ensuring that blood is on the shelves for patients anytime a lifesaving transfusion is needed.

There are a few things donors can do to help in times of COVID-19.

1. First, to reduce wait times, donors can fill out a questionnaire online before they show up. It means fewer people are waiting, making it easier to “social distance” between donors.
2. Carter BloodCare is also putting fewer donors on a bus at one time, for social distancing reasons. So making an appointment is best for getting right into the blood drive and reducing lines of donors.
3. Organizations can help by booking a blood drive for the summer months, a time when blood donations decrease. Carter BloodCare is explicitly looking for companies to host drives that have space for an inside setup that allows for more distance between donor beds. If your place of business is settling back into the office and you think it would be nice to host a drive, email bookablooddrive@cartebloodcare.org to schedule a company drive.
4. Make an appointment to give blood this May at your local Carter BloodCare donor center. It feels good to get out of the house, roll up your sleeves, and give. It feels better to save three lives.

Hopkins County Memorial Hospital is helping boost the local blood supply by hosting a recurring drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 6, at 115 Airport Road in the parking lot on the Carter BloodCare bus. For more information, or to schedule an appointment time, contact Lanie Wright at (903) 571-9667.

For information on donor eligibility and appointments, call or text 800-366-2834 or visit carterbloodcare.org.