Critical need for blood donations to ease nation-wide shortage
June 17, 2021
The nation is in the midst of a blood shortage and the UCI Blood Donor Center is in dire need of blood donations, especially Type ‘O,’ as shortages are hitting health providers across the country.
Last year, the American Red Cross announced a severe blood shortage due to the onset of COVID-19 and blood drive cancellations, and the critical need for blood donations is still present.
As Orange County’s only Level 1 trauma center, UCI Health provides critical care services not available in any other health system. To meet the needs of the community, UCI Health is working with various partners to increase blood donations, including the Anaheim Ducks and the Honda Center, and urges healthy people to donate blood, platelets or plasma.
Upcoming blood drives
Below are opportunities to donate blood for UCI Health during the month of June:
Tuesday, June 29, 9 a.m.—4 p.m. In partnership with the Anaheim Ducks, the UCI bloodmobile will be in the Honda Center parking lot at 2695 East Katella Avenue in Anaheim. This is the first of five blood drives to be held in the Honda Center parking lot. Additional blood drives are scheduled for July 13, July 27, Aug. 10 and Aug. 24 Appointments are required.
In addition to the UCI bloodmobile — which travels throughout Orange County — there are two locations for blood and platelet donations that directly support patients hospitalized at UCI Medical Center.
The UCI Health Blood Donor Center in Orange is open for donations at Pavilion 3, Room 400 at the medical center, 101 The City Drive South in Orange. All donors will receive a t-shirt and a certificate for a pint of Baskin Robbins ice-cream and be entered into the $250 Disney gift card raffle. Donors can also request to be tested for Covid-19 antibodies. Appointments are required.
The temporary Blood Donor Center at the UCI campus is open for donations. All donors will receive a t-shirt and a certificate for a pint of Baskin Robbins ice-cream and be entered into the $250 Disney gift card raffle. Donors can also request to be tested for Covid-19 antibodies. Appointments are required.
COVID-19 precautions still in place
Despite California’s official reopening, UCI Health is committed to protecting the community’s health and will continue to follow the California Department of Public Health and Cal/OSHA guidelines. Masking and appropriate distancing will continue to be required of patients, visitors, contractors, faculty and co-workers at all UCI Health locations.
If you have recently received the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson, there is no deferral unless you are currently experiencing side effects. Please do not schedule an appointment to donate blood if you have recently experienced any COVID-19 symptoms; have been diagnosed or suspected of having COVID-19 in the past 14 days; or have lived with someone who has been diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
UCI Health is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access UCI Health at primary and specialty care offices across Orange County and at its main campus, UCI Medical Center in Orange, Calif. The 418-bed acute-care hospital, listed among America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 20 consecutive years, provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, as well as behavioral health and rehabilitation services. UCI Medical Center is home to Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center and regional burn center. It is the primary teaching hospital for the UCI School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of nearly 4 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.
