Take a break to donate during next week's blood drive

Medical Center faculty, staff and students will be invited to "Take a Break and Donate" when Mississippi Blood Services personnel visit the Medical Center March 30-April 3 for the quarterly UMMC Blood Drive.

The message for the drive is "Every Two Seconds, Someone Needs Blood." According to Renee Howard, administrative assistant in clinical lab administration who has coordinated the campus blood drive for years, nowhere is the slogan more relevant than at the Medical Center.

"UMMC is the largest user of blood in Mississippi, which means almost every one of us knows, will meet, or will hear of someone who needs blood," Howard said. "Our gift of donations will help boost the much-needed inventory of blood and blood products."

Howard said blood donation at the Medical Center has been in decline recently.

"The last few years, we have been donating an average of 600 units per year over four drives," she said. "We have done better, so let's get out and show our giving spirit."

All donors will receive an MBS T-shirt with the current slogan and a Donor Protection Policy with Mississippi Blood Services. Identification is required to donate blood.

Times, dates and places for the drive include:

* 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, March 30, between the Guyton Research Center and the School of Medicine;

* 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, between the Guyton Research Center and the School of Medicine;

* 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, at the Bailey Avenue entrance to the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center;

* 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, April 2, near the Batson Children's Hospital entrance;

* 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, April 2, in the School of Dentistry lounge; and

* 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, April 3, near the University Hospital entrance.

Be sure to look for the MBS donor coach when making a donation. For more information about the blood drive, call Renee Howard at 4-2884 or send her an email at rhoward@umc.edu.