Emerson Hospital Recognizes National Blood Donor Month

January is National Blood Donor Month and the folks at are taking the opportunity to remind Concordians that the need and opportunity to help their neighbors is ever-present.

According to Linda Dolan, blood donor recruiter at Emerson's Blood Donor Center, all of the donations collected here in Concord are used at Emerson, going to help people locally, and saving the facility money.

Not only are the donations used here at home, but given the variety of purposes blood — and its individual components — have, a single donation can benefit several patients.

"It can actually save more than one life because the blood is separated into different components," Dolan said. "One unit of blood could help more than one person."
 
When it comes to donations though, Dolan said only about 5 percent of the people eligible to donate actually do, and therefore the need for donations is a constant one.

"There's never a time when we don't need it," she said. "Traditionally the response from the community has been positive, but blood is always in demand."

In order to give blood, donors need to be at least 17-years-old, and must undergo a brief screening prior to the donations. In all, the process, Dolan said, takes about 45 minutes. In recognition of National Blood Donor Month, everyone who donates at Emerson throughout January will be entered into a raffle to win a $50 gift certificate to .

Emerson Hospital's Blood Donor Center, located in the John Cuming Building, is open Monday through Thursday. Click here for more information on hours of operation and how to schedule an appointment to donate blood.