New year; winter brings increased need for blood and plasma donors

Top 4 reasons to become a blood donor

Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls, Wis.  – Someone needs blood or a blood product every two seconds in the United States, and one out of every seven people who enter a hospital will need a blood product, according to America’s Blood Centers (ABC).  

After the holiday season of giving, the ABC says blood and plasma donations become scarce. In a hospital setting this can mean patients in a wide range of circumstances can be limited in how much blood they receive. 

Blood transfusions can be necessary for serious injuries, surgeries, childbirth, blood disorders, anemia and many other conditions and situations. 

Plasma donations can be vital for patients with liver failure, severe infections and serious burns. Also, plasma donated by a recovered COVID-19 patient, known as convalescent plasma, can help others recover from the virus. 

HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals Director of Laboratory Services, Russ Albert says January’s Blood Donor Awareness Month is a critical time to educate the public about the many benefits of being a blood or plasma donor, whether it’s once or on a regular basis.

“Donations are important because we do not have an alternative for blood or platelets; they cannot be manufactured,” said Albert. “Hospitals use blood every single day to help patients.”

Here are 4 top reasons to consider making a life-saving blood donation part of your new year:

• A donation can save a life, or several lives if your blood is separated into its components – red cells, platelets and plasma
• Only 10% of eligible donors donate despite it being a safe and regulated process by the Food and Drug Administration and the American Association of Blood Banks
• Before donating you will get a small, free health check (not to replace regular exams with your provider) that includes pulse, blood pressure, body temperature and iron levels; Also, once your blood is collected and sent to a lab, further testing is done to check for infectious diseases and you are notified immediately if there are concerns
• Blood donation can improve your overall health; Research shows blood donors are 88 percent less likely than others to suffer a heart attack

For more information about how to save and improve quality of life for those in need of blood and plasma, visit the Community Blood Center, which is the organization that supplies HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals with blood and blood products. 

  ###

About HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital
HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the Founding Institute, and it is an affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System. Since 1889, it has been meeting patient needs in western Wisconsin with the latest medical innovations and technology, together with a Franciscan whole-person healing tradition.

About HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the Founding Institute, and it is an affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System. Since 1885, it has served the people of the Chippewa Falls area with health care that is high tech and high touch. Known locally for the quality of the care it provides patients, the hospital has been recognized nationally for its outstanding patient satisfaction levels.

About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high-quality Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our physician practices and 15 local hospitals in two states – Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.