French Hospital Partners with Vitalant to Host Community Life-Saving Blood Drive

Public urged to support local and national blood needs by donating blood

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – August 6, 2019 –  French Hospital Medical Center, in partnership with Vitalant, the new name for United Blood Services, is encouraging community members to donate blood during a blood drive. In an effort to bolster local and national blood supplies and be prepared for unexpected events, Vitalant is calling on the community to come forward and give blood. The process takes only 45 minutes but can save up to three lives.

The drive is scheduled for Friday, August 23, 2019 from 10:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. on the French Hospital Medical Center campus, located at 1911 Johnson Avenue, San Luis Obispo. Community members wishing to donate are urged to sign up at www.blood4life.org.

Despite the ongoing need, during summer months it’s especially challenging to recruit donors, which affects Vitalant’s blood supply. Donations from O-negative donors, the universal blood type, are especially important. The current O-negative blood supply sits at an approximate two-day supply, which is half of the ideal quantity needed to support patient needs. Additionally, platelet donations, which have a shelf-life of only five days, are always in high demand. However, donors of all types are needed. 

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About Vitalant
Vitalant is one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit community blood service providers, supplying comprehensive transfusion medicine services for nearly 1,000 hospitals and health care partners for patients in need across 40 states. Vitalant inspires local communities to serve the needs of others and transform lives through the selfless act of donating blood. Every day, almost 5,000 blood donations are needed to meet the needs of people throughout the country, and Vitalant’s 780,000 donors supply 1.8 million donations a year. In addition to blood products, Vitalant offers customers transfusion services, medical consulting, quality guidance, ongoing education, research and more. For more information and to schedule a donation, visit vitalant.org or call (877) 258-4825 (877-25-VITAL).

About French Hospital Medical Center
French Hospital Medical Center, located in San Luis Obispo, California, is rated among the top hospitals in the nation.  The Copeland, Forbes, and Rossi Cardiac Care Center provides the latest innovative cardiac and imaging technology, and is home to the Hearst Cancer Resource Center offering free education, resources and support to cancer patients and their families. French is a Dignity Health Central Coast hospital which also includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, CA, Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, CA, St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, CA and St. John’s Pleasant Valley in Camarillo, CA. Dignity Health 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 surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories, imaging centers and a full service home health agency; all recognized for quality, safety and service.