UCHealth will open a blood center in Greeley next month to help meet a growing need for blood donations.
Greeley's Garth Englund Blood Center — which will offer platelet donations, whole blood donations and therapeutic procedures — will open Dec. 12 at 6906 10th St., in the NorthGate Village shopping center.
The center will be open five days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday, and 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, according to a UCHealth news release.
The opening comes at a time when blood supplies typically start to hit critical levels, according to Anna Johnson, manager of the UCHealth Garth Englund Blood Centers in Greeley, Loveland and Fort Collins. Due to holiday activities, travel and seasonal illnesses, many people drift away from sticking to their regular blood donation schedules in December and January.
The annual seasonal lull impacts local blood supplies while the need for patients remains consistent, according to the release. Johnson said there is a need for all types of blood donations.
"Thirty minutes of your time could mean a lifetime to a person in need — and his or her family and friends," she said.
Thanks to a new online donor portal, donors can schedule a donation appointment at the Greeley center, according to UCHealth. The system also allows donors to look up their blood type, their last donation date, their gallon total and upcoming mobile blood drive opportunities.
To schedule a donation at the new center, create an account on the donor portal at bit.ly/DonateGreeley or call (970) 495-8965.
The blood center will host two opportunities on Dec. 6 for the public to see the center before the grand opening, the release said. At noon, the Greeley Chamber of Commerce will partake in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Staff will then host a community open house from 2-5 p.m., to answer questions about the donation process and offer tours of the new facility.
What to know
A person must be at least 18 years old, or 17 with a parent's permission, and show photo identification to donate blood.
New blood donors must weigh 120 pounds and be in good health. Prior donors can weigh at least 110 pounds as long as they are in good health with no complications from previous donations.
At Garth Englund donation centers, the process of giving blood is simple and quick, the release said. The donation process takes 30 to 45 minutes, which includes time to fill out the health history and consent forms. The next process includes having vitals taken and undergoing a finger-stick test to check a person's volume of red blood cells. The actual drawing of a pint of blood takes five to 10 minutes.
All blood donated through Garth Englund centers stays local — helping patients at Greeley Hospital, Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Longs Peak Hospital in Longmont and Estes Park Health.
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