St. John’s Collects Gifts of Life

FAR ROCKAWAY, 2018—Thursday, September 13, St. John’s Episcopal Hospital hosted a community blood drive on Thursday, September 13th in the hospital’s BOCES Training Center. The hospital’s blood bank partnered with Community Blood Center, an organization that works with healthcare centers around the country, including St. John’s, to supply patients in need of lifesaving blood. In 2017, St. John’s hosted its first blood drive since 2010. The hospital’s blood bank decided to reinstate the annual blood drive due to the yearly shortage of blood donations that occur before and during the holiday season. This year, donors gave a total of 36 pints of blood and blood products. “When a person donates blood, they get the amazing benefit of knowing that they have saved the life of an infant, child, injured person, or cancer patient,” said Bridget Sheahan, Manager of St. John's Blood Bank. “During times of distress, people like to feel as if they’ve done something to help. Donating blood not only helps, but saves lives.” The staff at St. John's is looking forward to hosting additional blood drives in the future, and is proud to declare this event a success! About St. John’s St. John’s Episcopal Hospital is the only hospital providing emergency and ambulatory care to the densely populated, culturally and economically diverse, and medically underserved populations of the Rockaways and Five Towns in southern Queens County and southwestern Nassau County, New York. St. John’s is a New York State Designated Stroke Center, a recipient of the Gold-Plus Get with the Guidelines®-Stroke Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association.