Help your community at the upcoming blood drive

By CJ Blomquist

OptumCare

Pandemic or not, there is still a need for blood donations to serve patients in critical need, such as those in surgery or in need of a transfusion. Each quarter, the Health Care Center hosts an American Red Cross blood drive, including one on Friday, Feb. 12, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Appointment required. It used to be easy to walk in and donate blood. But now a few extra precautions are necessary to keep you, your neighbors and the Red Cross employees safe. This year, everyone who wants to donate must make an appointment. This not only lets staff limit the number of people in the room at a time, but it also means no one will be kept waiting. You’ll be in, out and on your way quickly!

You can make a donation appointment by calling Lisa Love at the Red Cross at (909) 282-6685. Or you can schedule one via Red-CrossBlood.org/RapidPass;

you can also fill out your pre-donation paperwork through the website. Enter sponsor code “leisure.”

Standard precautions apply.

A face mask or covering is required. This is for everyone’s safety, including yours. Also, the doors to Conference Room 1 will be open, so you won’t need to walk through the entire clinic.

Antibody testing. The Red Cross will now be testing each donor’s blood to see if it has antibodies to COVID-19. Not everyone with the virus has symptoms, so antibody testing an important new feature of the blood drive. If your donation is negative for antibodies, it can be used for patients in need. There is no cost to you for the testing, and the Red Cross will send you the test results through its online portal.

And remember: The Red Cross looks forward to seeing you next on Oct. 16.