UNMC blood drive scheduled for Sept. 23

About every two seconds, someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion.

On Thursday, Sept. 23, employees at UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, will have the opportunity to give blood so that others may have the opportunity to live.

Did you know… After your donation, your body goes to work restoring fluids and red blood cells. Fluid volume is replenished within 24 hours, and red blood cells are replaced within six weeks. You are eligible to give every 56 days (or eight weeks). By the time we are 75 years old, 80 percent of us will have needed donated blood ourselves.

“Whether it’s needed for a trauma victim, a premature baby, or patients undergoing cancer treatments, an organ transplant or heart surgery, blood is an essential part of the care of many people each day,” said Peter Pellerito, organizer of the UNMC campus blood drive. “Locally, the Red Cross must collect about 400 pints of blood each day. Our drive in one that is extremely important in helping the Red Cross realize its goals.”

Opportunities still abound for employees to register for the drive. The Red Cross has asked UNMC to scheduled 90 appointments. Employees may click here to schedule an appointment time. Those who register should expect to spend 11/2 hours at the blood-giving site, the Center for Healthy Living, although the actually blood donating time lasts only about 10 minutes.

“We’ve had tremendous success recently in achieving the goals the Red Cross has set for us,” Pellerito said. “In addition to our regular blood donors, we’ll need many new donors to meet this drive’s goal. I’m confident that, as in the past, our campus will meet this challenge.”