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Show Hospital extends hours for blood donations American Fork Hospital will extend the hours during which donors may give blood at the institution's in-stitution's blood laboratory. Beginning March 4, the lab will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. every fourth Wednesday of the month. Medical staff from Utah Valley Regional Medical Center will come once a month to assist in the lab during the extended hours. "We hope to be able to provide more opportunity for everyone who would like to donate blood," said Karen Tribett, donor resource coordinator of the Regional Blood Bank. According to Tribett, there are many smaller groups and businesses in the area that are too small to warrant the mobile blood bank, yet large enough to set up a group account. A group account is an actual account that works on a deposit-withdrawal system. "Usually a patient who needs blood is charged a $25 fee per unit of blood received. Those people who are members of groups that have a group account are able to save this charge," said Tribett. It is suggested that all donors eat a good meal one-two hours before giving blood. Only those who are healthy and between the ages of 18-66 18-66 are eligible to donate blood. The current schedule for donors at AFH is Monday-Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The lab asks that people wishing to give blood call for an appintment. No appointment is needed for the fourth Wednesday of every month. |