As the Blood Center rallies locals to roll up their sleeves in the wake of Hurricane Francine, St. Tammany Health System will host a blood drive today (Friday, Sept. 13) at its flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital campus in Covington.
The drive will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Mandeville/Covington Rooms in the hospital’s first-floor Conference Hallway. All successful donors will receive a free black-and-gold-themed “Give Dat” T-shirt.
As always, walk-ins are welcome, although appointments are preferred and can be made at the Blood Center website or by scanning the QR code below.
All donors are reminded to have a full meal before donating and to bring their picture ID.
The STHS blood drive comes on the same day The Blood Center issued a call for blood donations following cancellations and closures caused by Francine, which hammered the region Wednesday evening and early Thursday.
“Our community requires a three- to four-day supply of blood products for a scenario like Hurricane Francine and the impact experienced from her devastation, especially in South Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” Blood Center President and CEO Billy Weales said in a Friday-morning news release. "We must respond now to ensure patient care is not adversely jeopardized. All citizens are highly encouraged to donate now.”
Dr. Tim Peterson, medical director for The Blood Center, emphasized the urgency: “As our community begins cleanup efforts after Hurricane Francine, we expect an increase in emergency room visits, which could strain our local blood supply. It’s our responsibility to donate blood and ensure our hospitals are prepared to provide the quality healthcare we rely on.”
Although around 60% of the population is eligible to donate blood, only 5% do so. The Blood Center needs to collect between 200 and 250 pints daily to maintain a stable supply and meet community needs.
The Blood Center, a nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors, supplies blood and blood components to more than 50 hospitals and outpatient facilities across Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi.