Central Coast Hospitals Rally to Provide Gifts of a Lifetime

As the only certified hospital-based bone marrow donor registry sites between the Bay Area and Los Angeles, Dignity Health of the Central Coast, which includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, French Hospital Medical Center and Marian Regional Medical Center, will be hosting bone marrow donor registry drives to find matches for two local Leukemia patients and patients in need throughout the nation and world.

Connie Hughes and Randy Salmon are both searching for their perfect bone marrow donor match – a gift that will save their lives. Connie is an Arroyo Grande resident and has been a Marian Regional Medical Center Physical Therapy Assistant for more than 30 years. Randy is a Nipomo resident who is known by many locals for his positions as a host at Jocko’s Steak House and an area handyman.

The Bone Marrow Registry Drives will take place between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on the following days and at the following locations:

• March 6 – Marian Regional Medical Center Café, 1400 East Church Street, Santa Maria (new hospital entrance on S. Palisade Drive)
• March 7 – Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Café, 345 Halcyon Road Arroyo Grande
• March 8 – French Hospital Medical Center Café , 1911 Johnson Avenue, San Luis Obispo

The National Bone Marrow Registry (also known as Be The Match Registry) is a source of hope for leukemia patients and others with blood diseases. At the Dignity Health bone marrow donor drives, community members along with hospital employees and volunteers will have the opportunity to register and join the National Bone Marrow Registry. Community members between the ages of 18 and 44 are encouraged to join the bone marrow registry. To register takes less than 10 minutes requires a quick and painless cheek swab.  

“Every time a new name is added to the bone marrow registry, the chances increase that a person in need of a transplant will find the match that saves his or her life,” explains Katherine Guthrie, Dignity Health of the Central Coast Cancer Services Regional Director. “Currently, of the 6,000 people waiting for a match in the United States alone, only 30 percent will find one in time and through events like these community members are encouraged to simply step forward, volunteer and potentially save another’s life.”

No reservations are required to attend the drives and register. For questions, please call Dignity Health of the Central Coast Cancer Services at 805.219.HOPE (4673). 

About Dignity Health of the Central Coast

Dignity Health of the Central Coast is an integrated network of top quality hospitals, physicians from the most prestigious medical schools, and comprehensive outpatient services including primary care offices, premier ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers and a full service home health agency; all recognized for quality, safety and service.  Each hospital is supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to help meet the growing health care needs of our communities. For more information visit www.arroyograndehospital.org; www.frenchmedicalcenter.org; www.marianmedicalcenter.org