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.
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SOURCE Versiti, Inc.