Blood transfusions are something most of us don’t think about often. But when we or someone we care about needs blood, we can rest assured it’s always available right here in Lamar.

Tress Gadash, Laboratory Manager at Prowers Medical Center, is responsible for making sure that sufficient red blood cells and fresh-frozen plasma are always available for our community’s needs.

January is National Blood Donor Month, which recognizes the importance of giving blood products. “There continues to be a shortage of blood donations across the nation,” Gadash said, “and facilities like Prowers Medical Center depend on healthy individuals to fulfill this need.”

How to Donate Blood

To give blood in Lamar, visit donors.vitalant.org or call 877-258-4825 to sign up for the next community blood drive at Lamar Christian Church, 811 South Main Street. You may choose to give a pint of whole blood, which takes less than an hour, or “power red,” which is a larger red-blood-cell-only donation.

Blood Uses at Prowers Medical Center

“Maintaining an adequate supply of blood products at Prowers Medical Center is vital for our community,” Gadash said. “On average, we care for 20 trauma patients a month. If the situation is severe enough to activate our massive transfusion protocol, we could exhaust our entire blood product inventory. We have plans in place to quickly replenish, but we depend on having our blood bank appropriately stocked for these life-or-death situations.”

Prowers Medical Center recently received its Level IV Trauma Center designation from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. This means that effective emergency room staffing and processes are in place to triage and care for patients who’ve been seriously injured. The laboratory’s massive transfusion protocol is one of these processes.

In addition to transfusions for trauma patients, blood products at Prowers Medical Center are used to treat patients with a variety of blood disorders, such as anemia. Anemic patients have low red blood cell counts. Red blood cells carry hemoglobin, which is an iron-rich protein. Transfusions of red blood cells temporarily elevate hemoglobin to normal levels, helping patients feel better. Prowers Medical Center transfuses an average of 36 units of blood each quarter, including both inpatients and outpatients.

Donate to Make a Difference

The only way blood banks are stocked is through the donations of community members. Blood products cannot be manufactured, and they don’t last indefinitely. Donated red blood cells must be used within 42 days, and fresh-frozen plasma can be kept for one year if frozen within eight hours of collection.

Prowers Medical Center rotates inventory every week to maintain a fresh and adequate supply. Shipments arrive weekly from Vitalant’s Denver location. Vitalant is the nation’s largest independent, nonprofit blood-bank organization, uniting a network of 120 donation centers across the country. During emergencies, Prowers Medical Center can reach out to local EMS and neighboring hospitals for blood products as well.

Winter is a critical time to donate blood because supplies often run short across the nation during the holiday season and inclement weather. Vitalant has recently begun routinely calling and texting donors to remind them to donate throughout the year.

To donate blood in Colorado, you must be 18 years old (or 17 with parental permission), weigh 110 pounds or more, and be in good health and feeling well. Most people who take medications can still donate, although some prescription drugs, such as blood thinners, prevent donation.

Gadash said that the COVID-19 pandemic had a trickle-down effect and ultimately reduced the nation’s inventory of blood products. The supply has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, and facilities have been encouraged to review and update their policies related to blood-product management.

Nationally, only 3% of eligible people donate blood at least once a year or more. Gadash encourages Prowers County community members to donate blood every two months if possible. “The need is there,” he said.