|
 Sleepy Hollow, NY - As the holidays approach, Phelps Memorial Hospital Center would like to remind members of the community about a very generous gift they can give without having to dig into their pockets – blood donation.
The holidays are traditionally a low-donor time, which makes blood donation during this time even more critical.
Hospitals require a supply of fresh blood at all times, particularly for emergencies. Many hospitals maintain blood supplies by ordering it from an outside source. Phelps, however, has its own blood bank that primarily depends on members from surrounding communities to provide this lifesaving product for its patients. More than 90% of patient blood requirements at Phelps are met through the Blood Donor program.
“To meet the blood product needs of all of our patients, we need more people to donate blood on a regular basis,” says Carol Stanley, MT, director of the Blood Bank at Phelps.
Donating blood is safe, easy and takes less than an hour, and the body replaces the blood volume within 24 hours. To donate blood, a person must be in good general health and:
- Be at least 17 years old
- Weigh 110 pounds or more
- Have not donated within the previous 8 weeks
- Present official form of identification, preferably with signature and/or photo
The Phelps Blood Donor Room is located in Suite 265 in the Medical Services Building at Phelps, 755 N. Broadway. Hours are Monday and Thursday, 9am to 5pm; Tuesday and Wednesday 9am to 8pm; and Friday, 9am to 3pm. Appointments are preferred but not required.
Members of the hospital’s Blood Donor Services department are also available to speak at houses of worship and community organizations about the importance of giving blood and the blood donation process. For information about becoming a blood donor, or to arrange for a speaker from Blood Donor Services, call 914-366-3916.
Phelps Memorial Hospital Center is a 235-bed community hospital with 450 medical staff, representing 34 clinical specialties. Phelps is the exclusive Westchester satellite for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a clinical affiliate of Mount Sinai Hospital. www.phelpshospital.org
 |
