O'FALLON – Increasing levels of activity at local hospitals and past cancellations of blood drives throughout the region have led to critically low levels of blood product supplies. Leaders from Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC) and HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital are calling on the public to step forward and donate at upcoming blood drives.
HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is hosting two blood drives during the month of August. The first is Tuesday, August 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the other will be Wednesday, August 26 from 2:30-6:30 p.m. Both drives will be held in MVRBC’s mobile donor bus which will be parked in the hospital’s parking lot at 1 St. Elizabeth’s Blvd., O’Fallon, IL.
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All donors MUST make an appointment, no walk-ins. To schedule a donation time, call MVRBC at 866-GIVE-BLD (866-448-3253) or log on to www.bloodcenter.org and use Sponsor Code: 10155. All donors will also be required to wear a mask and present a photo ID. All donors will receive a voucher for a $10 gift card.
As the need for donors persists, MVRBC has implemented changes to donor eligibility based on revised guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One of the changes approved by FDA will permit donations by many donors previously deferred due to exposure Variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (vCJD or Mad Cow Disease). The revised guidance from the FDA eliminates the deferral of individuals who spent time on U.S. military bases in Europe. The deferral will remain for those who spent time in the United Kingdom (cumulative three months from 1980-1996) and France or Ireland (cumulative five years from 1980-2001).
MVRBC is taking extra precautions to keep donors safe and healthy. Anyone not feeling well, has recently been tested for COVID-19, or has been in contact with someone being tested for COVID-19, is asked not to donate at this time but reschedule for an appointment for a later date.
Recovered COVID-19 patients can help others after winning their fight with the virus. MVRBC is accepting referrals from individuals who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection to give plasma to help newly diagnosed patients. Potential donors who can provide documentation of a laboratory-confirmed positive test for COVID-19 and meet other health and safety criteria, will be scheduled for a COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma (CCP) donation.
CCP donors must be fully recovered from their COVID-19 infection and must meet all standard eligibility criteria for blood donation. Plasma will only be collected from donors with laboratory-confirmed tests showing they had a COVID-19 infection and must be at least 28 days from the last date they experienced symptoms. These donors will have antibodies to help fight COVID-19 and will be scheduled for a plasma donation at a nearby Donor Center or mobile blood drive. Individual donors and care providers may refer themselves or their patients via the referral form available at www.bloodcenter.org or by calling 833-610-1025.
A blood donor can give every eight weeks, or up to six times a year. All person’s age 17 and up (or 16 with a signed parental permission form) who weigh at least 110 lbs. and are in general good health meet the basic eligibility requirements for blood donation. A full list of donor eligibility guidelines may be found at http://www.bloodcenter.org/donate-blood/donating-blood/donor-eligibility.aspx.
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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 15 Local Systems and physician practices in 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.
About Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center
MVRBC is proud to be the provider of blood products and services to 90 hospitals, including St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin. As inventory allows, MVRBC also provides additional units to hospitals across the country through a national resource sharing program.
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