FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Weaver, Melony Ritter
(501) 760.6410 office
press@np.edu
March 8, 2016
NURSING DIVISION HOSTS SPRING BLOOD DRIVE
Hot Springs, Arkansas – National Park College (NPC) Nursing Division hosted its spring blood drive last week. Students, staff and faculty donated 95 units of life-saving blood that could help as many as 285 patients in our area hospitals. Last year in March the spring blood drive gave 83 units of blood.
Nursing Division faculty and students volunteered to help with the registration table
and keep the process moving quickly for donors. Others helped provide snacks for donors
after they gave blood.
Annually, NPC hosts four blood drives on campus that produce more than 220 units of
blood for our hospitals. High school and college students are the primary source of
blood given to patients in hospitals nationally. Generally, college students are able
to donate because they are not on prescription drugs, have not had surgery or cancer
and cannot often afford to travel out of the country all of which could limit their
donations.
Arkansas Blood Institute representative, Bob Woodall said, “They have a wonderful
sense of giving back to the community and helping others and blood donation is the
most dramatic way to help another person.”
Arkansas Blood Institute has served hospitals for 37 years. It is the nation’s ninth
largest blood bank, delivering every drop of blood for 23 of the state’s hospitals,
including CHI St. Vincent and National Park Medical Center. Hospitals need 30 to 40
units of blood per day.
Photo 1: Meghan Buser and Memory Jerrels, student donors at the spring blood drive hosted by the National Park College Nursing Division.
Photo 2: ABI phlebotomists Rose Doan and Clifton Cogshell setting up for the spring blood drive hosted by the National Park College Nursing Division.
