Upcoming EventsBlood Donors Needed to Ease Blood Shortage during Trauma Season
Nyack, N.Y. May 23, 2025 – Montefiore Nyack Hospital is hosting a blood drive with the New York Blood Center (NYBC) on Friday, June 20, 2025, to offset the demand for blood products during the summer months. The blood drive will take place in the Hospital’s Cafeteria Conference Room, located on the ground floor, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Appointments are highly encouraged. Each eligible blood donor will be offered a voucher for two (2) tickets to an upcoming New York Mets home baseball game.*
“Trauma season,” a recognized term in healthcare, refers to the summer months when emergency departments and trauma units see a noticeable increase in serious injuries. Warmer weather leads to more people participating in high-risk activities like swimming, boating, hiking, extreme sports, biking, motorcycling, and driving (especially on long road trips, which often involve fatigue or alcohol). With school out, children are more active and unsupervised during the day, resulting in a rise in injuries and trauma-related visits.
Since trauma cases frequently involve significant blood loss, the increase in accidents creates a greater demand for blood and blood products. Hospitals like Montefiore Nyack are unable to stockpile these supplies due to their short shelf life, relying on consistent donations to respond to emergencies when every drop can be lifesaving. To help offset chronic blood shortages, Rockland County residents are encouraged to donate blood once per season or four times a year.
When a person donates one unit of blood, it can be separated into individual components to save multiple lives. There are different kinds of blood donation. Each one is used for a variety of life-saving procedures and treatments, including:
- Red blood cells are given to people with blood disorders, such as sickle cell disease or chronic anemia caused by kidney failure or bleeding in the stomach. They are also given to people who have acute blood loss from trauma. Sometimes babies born very early need a transfusion to increase the number of red blood cells in their bodies. Automated red cell donation takes a bit longer and has additional eligibility requirements. If you’re not sure if you qualify, schedule a whole blood appointment, and ask staff when you arrive if you qualify for an auto-red procedure.
- Platelets are most often used to treat cancer. They are also given to patients who have open-heart surgery and organ transplants.
- Plasma transfusions are used for patients with liver failure, bad infections and serious burns.
- Whole blood is usually given to people who have life-threatening injuries or people in surgery.
To donate blood and platelets at Montefiore Nyack’s blood drive, please schedule an appointment at Donor Portal - New York Blood Center (nybc.org). If you want to give blood, you must be at least 17 years old or older to donate, be in good health, and weigh at least 110 lbs. Visit nybc.org for more information.
* Email registration is required to receive a voucher for Mets tickets.
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About Montefiore Nyack Hospital
Montefiore Nyack Hospital is a 391-bed community acute care medical and surgical hospital that was founded in 1895 and is in Rockland County, NY. Its mission is to provide competent, innovative and accessible emergency and acute care services to the residents of Rockland County and surrounding areas. It is a member of Montefiore Health System and a partner with Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, providing clinical rotations to medical students. To learn more visit montefiorenyack.org; follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram; and view us on YouTube.
About The New York Blood Center
New York Blood Center (NYBC) was founded in 1964 to fulfill a four-part mission: provide high-quality blood products and stem cell services, conduct innovative research, develop new products and technologies that make a humanitarian impact, and train the next generation of industry leaders. Today, this mission remains the same—except the blood center leverages the power of New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe). Comprising nine total divisions, NYBCe amplifies the blood center’s work to serve communities beyond New York City. On average, NYBCe strives to collect 4,000 units of blood each day and distributes almost one million blood products annually through on-site donor centers and mobile blood drives.
