Marian Regional Partners with Vitalant to Host Community Life-Saving Blood Drive
SANTA MARIA, CA – August 14, 2019 – Marian Regional 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 30, 2019 from 9:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. on the Marian Regional Medical Center campus, located at 1400 East Church Street, Santa Maria. 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 Marian Regional Medical Center
Marian Regional Medical Center is a technologically advanced, 191-bed facility that provides safe, quality care. Marian has been a recipient of the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence and was also named among the Top 10% in the Nation for Critical Care by Healthgrades. Marian is designated a STEMI Receiving Center in Santa Barbara County, and is designated a Level III Trauma Center by Santa Barbara County’s Emergency Medical Services Agency. The facility has achieved prestigious designation as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission for advanced, comprehensive care for stroke patients.
Our cancer care program is accredited as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer, and is one of only three programs between Los Angeles and San Francisco to receive an Outstanding Achievement Award. The campus houses a comprehensive perinatology/neonatology program, providing specialized care to the tiniest of patients. Marian is a member of Dignity Health Central Coast, which also includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, CA, French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, 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.
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).
Publish date:
Wednesday, August 14, 2019