Mercy Hospitals Need Blood Donors

Mercy Hospitals need blood donations of all blood types and platelets, due to the cancellation of large blood donor drives in the area. Colleges are closed, high schools are closing this week and businesses have remote workers. These are the normal sources for large blood drives at this time of year. However, the need for blood donations is great for trauma patients, cancer patients, labor and delivery moms, and NICU babies.

“Mercy Blood Donor Services is closely following the recommendations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding COVID-19,“ said Emily Schindler, MD, PhD, medical director for Blood Donor Services at Mercy Hospital St. Louis. “As communities are affected, it is imperative that healthy individuals continue to donate blood.”

Donors must be healthy individuals, over the age of 16 and weigh at least 115 pounds. Sixteen-year-old donors must bring a parental consent form, completed in ink, in order to donate. This is available on the Blood Donor Services page.

We screen all donors about their current and past medical history and are taking extra precautions for COVID-19, following recent guidance from the FDA.

Mercy is ensuring the safety of our donors and patients who will receive the blood products by implementing the following:

• Donors are asked not to donate if they have been out of the United States in the past 28 days
• Donors must not have been diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19
• Donors must not live with someone who has been diagnosed or is suspected of having COVID-19
• Donors will have their temperature taken upon arrival

Donors are asked to make an appointment to give blood or platelets, to manage the number of donors in a room and maintain social distancing recommendations. You can make an appointment to donate blood by calling 1-866-373-6667, by clicking here, or on Facebook.