Find a Blood Drive
Find a Blood Drive
POMONA, Calif. (May 1, 2017) — In honor of National Trauma Awareness Month, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, an acute care and newly designated Los Angeles County Level II Trauma Center, joins the American Red Cross to host a blood drive Friday, May 12, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The blood drive takes place at the hospital located at 1798 N. Garvey Ave.
Trauma accounts for millions of emergency room visits every year in the U.S. As the only certified trauma center serving the East San Gabriel Valley, the number of critically injured patients treated at the Pomona Valley Hospital continues to increase. In response, the hospital and the Red Cross call on the community to roll up a sleeve and donate blood.
“For the critically injured, every second matters in trauma and it is crucial that blood products, especially universal blood types like O negative, are readily available,” said Stephany Raby, director of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Services, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. “Patients rely on volunteer donors as the only source of blood for those in need of lifesaving blood transfusions. We thank the generous blood donors who help ensure that trauma victims, surgery patients and others have the blood products needed.”
In trauma situations, when there’s no time to check a patient’s blood type, emergency personnel reach for type O negative red blood cells and type AB plasma. O negative red cells and AB plasma are universal and can be transfused into any patient, regardless of blood type, making these donors an important part of the Red Cross trauma team. Less than 7 percent of the population has type O negative blood, and only about 4 percent of the population has type AB blood.
The Red Cross urges eligible donors with all blood types to make an appointment to help ensure lifesaving blood is available for patients with traumatic injuries and other serious medical needs. Blood donation appointments can be scheduled by using the sponsor code pvhmc through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, online at redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Blood donors also can save time by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.
How to donate blood
A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
About Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center is a 437-bed, acute care, nationally accredited not-for-profit medical center serving eastern Los Angeles and western San Bernardino counties. In 2015, PVHMC achieved The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for advanced certification in stroke, inpatient diabetes care, palliative care, sepsis and total joint replacement. In 2014, PVHMC was recognized by Health grades as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery, Coronary Interventions and Cardiac Care, and was announced as one of only four hospitals in California to achieve Excellence Awards in Cardiac Surgery, Coronary Interventions and Cardiac Care and three Top 100 designations listed previously. PVHMC is also a recipient of the prestigious Baby-Friendly designation. For more information, visit: www.pvhmc.org.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
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