Garth Englund blood centers need donors

FORT COLLINS and LOVELAND — UCHealth Garth Englund Blood Centers are critically low on blood supplies and are asking for donations from the public.

A seasonal lull in blood donations has affected the supply at UCHealth facilities in Northern Colorado, according to Kaitlin Zobel, the recruiter for the blood centers. Donations of all blood types are needed, Zobel said in a press release. However, the centers especially need donors with O negative, O positive and A positive blood. 

Donations can be scheduled at either of Garth Englund’s blood donor centers in Northern Colorado — 1025 Pennock Place in Fort Collins or at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies, 2500 Rocky Mountain Ave., in Loveland. The blood bank expects the need will be ongoing for several weeks. Donors should call 970-680-8053 to schedule an appointment to donate this month at either of the locations.

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Donors must be at least 18 years old (or 17 with a parent’s permission) and show a photo identification. New donors must weigh at least 120 pounds and be in good health. Prior donors must weigh at least 110 pounds. Donors also should eat before their appointment and drink plenty of water the day before and day of the appointment. Whole blood donations take 30-40 minutes.

The blood centers are also in need of new platelet donors. Platelet donations take anywhere from 90-120 minutes. Platelets are continuously in high demand in Northern Colorado.

The year-round need for blood products exists mostly for those with chronic diseases, especially cancer patients, who often need platelet transfusions, Zobel said. But summer brings more outdoor activity and more traumas, especially motorcycle and car wrecks, that make the demand for blood supplies and platelet supplies even more severe.

More information about eligibility requirements, the donation process and donation center hours is posted at http://bit.ly/uchealthblood.

All blood donated through UCHealth’s Garth Englund Blood Donation Centers stays local. It helps patients at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Greeley Hospital, Greeley Emergency and Surgery Center, Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont and Estes Park Health.