SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – Due to a nationwide shortage of blood, heightened by the recent shooting in Orlando, West Nebraska Blood Center at Regional West  will send 50 units of red cells to the National Blood Exchange.

“I was contacted on Monday by the National Blood Exchange asking for any blood products we could spare,” said Lori Lake, MT (ASCP)SBBcm, Senior Laboratory Manager said. “We didn’t have any surplus to send them at the time, but I told them we would be having a blood drive the next day and hopefully we could send them some blood products then.”

As it turned out, the blood drive held Tuesday, June 14 at Cabela’s store in Sidney drew a total of 67 donors over a four and a half hour period, making it one of the most successful blood drives ever for the Blood Center.

Established in 1953 as a resource-sharing program, National Blood Exchange (NBE) provides an important and valuable service to the blood banking and transfusion medicine community. NBE relies on a nationwide network of blood facilities with a surplus of blood and blood components.

West Nebraska Blood Center welcomes new blood donors. Donating blood or platelets is a simple, safe and easy process. To donate, you must be in good health; weigh more than 115 pounds; and be at least age 16, with written parental consent. There is no upper age limit.

If you wish to donate blood, call 308-630-2477 today to schedule your appointment. Walk-ins are also accepted.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 182-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. 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 providers, and over 2,000 employees, 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.