Dearborn County Hospital’s spring blood drive, in association with the Hoxworth Blood Center, will be on Thursday, May 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the conference facilities of the hospital, 600 Wilson Creek Road, Lawrenceburg.

“Greater Cincinnati’s Hoxworth Blood Center serves 29 hospitals.  Hoxworth requires 350 units of whole blood each day and 40 units of platelets daily to meet their hospitals’ needs,” stated Barb Childress, RN, DCH Clinical Nursing Instructor.  “Just one pint of donated blood can save the lives of up to three people.”

Donors can maximize their donation by giving “Double Reds.”  The process of Automated Red Cell Collection is designed to make the most of donations.  Please call the Hoxworth Nursing Department at (800) 265-1515 for additional information.

To donate, a person must be 17 years of age or older and weigh at least 110 pounds.  Donors must wait a minimum of eight weeks between blood donations.        

Persons who have tested HIV positive, injected themselves with illegal drugs or who participate in high risk behavior are prohibited from donating.  Individuals who had hepatitis after age 11 also are disqualified from donating.  Cancer and malaria survivors, persons who had a heart attack and those with heart disease should phone Hoxworth for information regarding allowances for donating. 

Blood donors should eat a well-balanced meal within four hours prior to donating and should drink plenty of water.  They must bring a form of photo identification, such as a driver’s license or employee badge.  An appointment takes approximately 45 minutes for whole blood donation and an additional 20 minutes for an Automated Red Cell Collection.

A free total cholesterol screening is available to donors.  Individual results will be available a few days following the blood drive by calling this special Hoxworth number, (513) 558-1188.