June 12, 2014
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Donate blood for others, for TriHealth and for yourself.
There are many reasons to give blood at TriHealth: your donation helps save lives, reduces the cost of blood products for our organization and even provides you with health benefits, such as a lower risk for heart disease.
This summer, Bethesda North, Bethesda Oak and Good Samaritan will host blood drives:
- June 24, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bethesda Oak; reserve a time
- June 27, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bethesda North; reserve a time
- July 14, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Good Samaritan; reserve a time
Save Lives
The most important reason to donate blood, says Jenny Friedl, hematology lead technician for Bethesda Oak Laboratory Services, is to save lives.
"People who actually need blood products can only get them from people who donate," she says.
When you donate blood, you give about a pint, which can save as many as three lives, according to the American Red Cross. Healthy adults have about 10 pints of blood in their bodies and can give red blood cells every 56 days.
Save TriHealth
Along with saving lives, when you donate at TriHealth - or at a Hoxworth location and designate TriHealth as your organization - you help reduce the cost of blood products used by our system each year.
Based on the number of donors, TriHealth receives a discount. In 2011, about 970 individuals donated on behalf of TriHealth, saving $39,870, or about 1.5 percent of the total cost of blood products. In 2012, about 1,400 individuals donated, saving $53,100, or about 2.2 percent.
"That's a huge cost savings to TriHealth," Jenny says.
Not all individuals are eligible to give blood. If you don't meet the requirements, you still can contribute by recruiting family members and friends to donate at Hoxworth blood centers and asking them to designate TriHealth as their organization.
Save Your Heart
On top of saving lives and dollars for TriHealth, giving blood provides several health benefits.
When you donate blood:
- About 225 to 250 mg of iron are removed from your bloodstream, which reduces your risk of heart disease and cancer, some studies show.
- You receive a cholesterol test and mini-wellness check that could catch certain illnesses in early stages.