Log in

Blood donation events coming to Sun City, Sun City West

Donations are safe, encouraged as pandemic impacts supply

Posted 4/14/20

With many regularly scheduled blood drives closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Banner Health is partnering with Vitalant, the region’s blood bank operator, to encourage blood donations …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor

Blood donation events coming to Sun City, Sun City West

Donations are safe, encouraged as pandemic impacts supply

Posted

With many regularly scheduled blood drives closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Banner Health is partnering with Vitalant, the region’s blood bank operator, to encourage blood donations and help restore supply.

Blood donation events at Banner Health facilities are coming next week to Sun City and Sun City West.

Banner Boswell Medical Center, 10401 W. Thunderbird Blvd., Sun City, will host a donation event 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, April 23. The Vitalant RV will be parked near the south entrance.

Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center, 14502 W. Meeker Blvd., Sun City West, will host an event 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, April 24. The Vitalant RV will be parked near the south entrance.

Vitalant asks potential donors to make an appointment on its website ahead of the event to prevent crowds from forming. Visit www.vitalant.org or call 877-258-4825 (877-25-VITAL).

“Our blood collection sites are a ‘first response’ action to this outbreak versus a gathering that needs to be avoided,” Vitalant’s chief medical and scientific officer Ralph Vassallo, MD, stated in a news release. “If you’re healthy, you’re needed now more than ever. We cannot let it get to the point where there’s no blood available for trauma patients, those undergoing cancer treatment and patients who need regular, ongoing blood transfusions just to survive.”

Vitalant leaders say blood donations are still safe. Staff take steps to ensure surfaces are thoroughly disinfected between donors and social distancing protocols are followed to minimize the potential for transmission of the new coronavirus. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said giving blood is considered an essential activity under the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected” executive order that took effect March 31.

“We all play an important role in protecting public health,” Gov. Ducey said. “If you are healthy, please consider donating blood.”

Federal leaders also encourage those who are able to donate to do so, reassuring the public that blood donation is safe and an “essential health care activity.”

Every day, almost 5,000 blood donations are needed to meet the needs of people throughout the country, and Vitalant’s 800,000 donors supply 1.8 million donations a year.