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 making sure 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.
- First, to reduce wait times, donors can fill out a questionnaire online before they show up to donate blood. This means fewer people are waiting, making it easier to “social distance” between donors.
- 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.
- Organizations can help by booking a blood drive for the summer months, a time in which blood donations decrease. Carter BloodCare is specifically 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.orgto schedule a company drive.
- 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.
First Baptist Church of Garland is helping boost the local blood supply by hosting a drive from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, at 425 S. 9th St. in the parking lot on the Carter BloodCare bus. For more information, or to schedule an appointment time, contact Bob Couch at (972) 276-5273.
For information on donor eligibility and appointments, call or text 800-366-2834 or visit carterbloodcare.org.
About Carter BloodCare: Carter BloodCare is an independent, community blood center providing transfusion resources to more than 180 medical facilities in 50-plus counties of north, central and east Texas. The non-profit 501(c)(3) organization is one of the largest blood programs in Texas, delivering more than 450,000 blood products annually to meet hospitals’ requirements for their patients. Services include collection, processing, specialized laboratory testing, storage and distribution of blood and blood products.