Far Rockaway hospital blood drive

St. John’s Episcopal Hospital partnered with the Community Blood Center to host its first blood drive since 2010.

The hospital, which hosted the blood drive in its BOCES Training Center in Far Rockaway, decided to sponsor one now due to the recent natural disasters across the country which caused an increase in the need for blood transfusions, as well as the yearly shortage of blood donations during the holiday season due to winter illnesses and people’s unusually busy schedules.

“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 the 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.”

St. John’s is the only hospital located in the densely populated, culturally and economically diverse, and medically underserved areas of the Rockaways and Five Towns. It provides emergency and ambulatory care to in southern Queens County and southwestern Nassau County, is a state designated Stroke Center, and a recipient of the Gold-Plus Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association.