With many regular blood donors resuming travel this spring amid a lull in COVID-19 cases, Cedars-Sinai is asking the community to help replenish blood supplies that have dwindled during the pandemic.
To support these efforts, Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital hosted a community blood drive that collected 60 units of blood over two days. Hospital staff, community members and construction workers building the new Marina del Rey Hospital all came out to help Cedars-Sinai and raise awareness of the need for donations.
"A single blood donation, which takes about 10 minutes to collect, can help save the lives of up to two people suffering from any of a variety of health conditions, including traumatic injury, cancer, blood disorders and heart conditions," said Armando Romero, associate director of Transfusion Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. "We're so grateful to the Del Rey community for coming out to support all the patients who will benefit from these donations."
Among those donors was Danielle Gabele, DNP, RN, CENP, chief nursing officer of Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital. She stopped by the blood drive on a break from work because she cares for many patients with heart failure, anemia and other conditions that often need blood transfusions.
"There is a real need for blood donations among the large population of underserved individuals in our community here. I see these patients on a daily basis and wanted to do my part to help," Gabele said. "I also wanted to set an example for the other nurses on my team."
Cedars-Sinai takes strict precautions to keep donors safe and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Blood drives and collection center beds are set up to create physical distancing, and donors are required to wear masks at all times while donating blood. All donors are prescreened for COVID-19 symptoms before entering.
For more information about donating blood at Cedars-Sinai, visit donatebloodcedars.org or call (310) 423-4170.
Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: This Blood Donor Has Likely Saved Hundreds of Lives