January 14, 2009
Critical need for O-positive, O-negative, B-positive, B-negative, A-positive and A-negative blood types.
The UP Regional Blood Center has a critical need for O-positive, O-negative, B-positive, B-negative, A-positive and A-negative blood types in all its service areas.
January is recognized as National Blood Donor Awareness month because January is the month when blood supplies are at their lowest. The following are a few reasons for the low blood supply at the UP Blood Regional Blood Center:
· Cold and flu season – people aren’t healthy enough to donate blood
· Bad weather prevents people from donating at a local blood drive or at the Blood Center
· Bad weather causes the Blood Center to cancel blood drives, especially when schools are closed
· Economic down-turn has caused companies to cut-back on employees, meaning less people at blood drives to collect blood from
To be eligible to donate blood, a person must be at least 17 years old, in good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and have a picture ID.
The donation process is a quick and simple. A technician performs a brief medical screening to check blood pressure, pulse, temperature and hemoglobin levels. This helps assure safe blood for patients, and also provides a quick check-up for donors. The entire process takes about 45 minutes, while the actual donation will only take about 10 minutes.
Volunteer blood donors are the only source for blood used in patient care in the United States. The blood donated can be divided into three components: platelets, plasma and red cells. One pint of blood can be used to help three different people. Blood donated at the U.P. Regional Blood Center helps 13 Upper Peninsula hospitals.
Blood donors can donate blood at the following service sites:
U.P. Regional Blood Center - Marquette
580 W. College Ave.
Call for an Appointment (906)-225-4610 or 1-800-491-4483 (GIVE)
Hours: Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Friday 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.
U.P. Regional Blood Center - Escanaba
Located at Marquette Medical Clinic - Escanaba
2500 7th Ave. S., Suite 100
Call for an Appointment (906)-786-8420
Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
U.P. Regional Blood Center - Hancock
504 Campus Dr.
Call for an Appointment (906)-483-1392
Hours: Monday - Wednesday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Thursday 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., and Friday 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
U.P. Regional Blood Center - Iron Mountain
Dickinson Medical Building
1717 S. Stephenson Ave., Suite 35
Call for an Appointment (906)-774-1012
Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
U.P. Regional Blood Center - Sault Ste. Marie
550 Osborn St.
Call for an Appointment (906)-632-1177
Hours: Monday - Tuesday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Thursday - Friday 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., with 1 p.m. being the last scheduled appointment
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