SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ―In recognition of World Blood Donor Day on June 14, Regional West encourages all healthy adults to donate blood or blood products.

Sixty percent of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood, yet only five percent of those eligible actually donate.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each day life-saving blood transfusions are needed in hospitals and emergency treatment facilities across the U.S.

Donating blood or blood products is a simple and easy process. To donate, you must be in good health, be 16 years of age and older, and weigh more than 115 pounds. A healthy donor can donate every 56 days. Your gift of time and blood may actually save a life.

“Regional West and West Nebraska Blood Center are grateful to all of our donors, mobile coordinators, volunteers, and in-house staff who take time out of their busy schedules to help save the lives of others. Blood donation is a free gift that only takes a little bit of your time, but it is a critical resource for patients in need,” said Katie Gasseling, MLS (ASCP), clinical laboratory supervisor.

The donation process usually takes less than one hour. Donors will complete a donor registration form, health history, and mini-physical (i.e., temperature, blood pressure, and pulse). It is helpful to eat and drink plenty of fluids before donating blood. The blood collection takes approximately eight to 10 minutes, after which you will be given juice and a cookie.

Call West Nebraska Blood Center at 308-630-2477 to schedule an appointment or visit https://www.rwhs.org/ways-give/blood-donation to learn more. Walk-ins to donate blood are accepted, but appointments are preferred. Located at 313 West 38^th Street in Scottsbluff, West Nebraska Blood Center is open Monday through Wednesday and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and the only Level II Trauma Center in Nebraska west of Kearney. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 in-network providers and approximately 2,000 staff members, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.