FORT DUNCAN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER PARTNERING WITH SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD
Press Release. After the decrease in blood donations over the summer, Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center to hold two mobile blood drives
By the time you read this sentence, another person will need a blood transfusion. This occurs every two seconds
and nearly 42,000 blood components are used by patients every day, according to South Texas Blood & Tissue.
Blood transfusions are necessary for births as one in 80 deliveries needs a blood transfusion and pediatric patients
use an average of 652,000 units of blood annually. They are also vital for patients battling cancer who use about
30% of the blood supply.
However, blood supply tends to run low during the summer months when students are out of school and many
adults are on vacation.
“Blood shortages occur almost every summer and this one appears to be no different,” said Joby Stortz, an account
manager with South Texas Blood & Tissue. “Ideally, we’d like to have 5-7 days of blood supply on demand, but
we’ve been hovering around the 2-day mark for several weeks now.”
In hopes of staving off a drastic depletion of the available blood, Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center is partnering
with South Texas Blood & Tissue to ensure there is sufficient blood supply to meet the community’s needs.
Stortz added, “The high schools alone can make up as much as 30-35% of the blood we collect in certain
communities, and while they’re out on break we’re left struggling to ensure blood is available for patients in need.
Please set aside 45-60 minutes to donate and potentially help as many as three local patients!”
The drives will take place in the main parking lot of Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center: on Monday, August 28,
and Tuesday, August 29, 2023.
Donors must be at least 17 years old (16 with parental consent) and in general good health to donate blood.
Individuals are encouraged to eat a good meal, drink additional water and avoid energy drinks if you plan to
donate. A valid photo ID is required.
Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, but walk-ins are always welcome. For more information, contact the
Guest Experience Ambassador at 830-872-2528 or ashley.castaneda@uhsinc.com.
Who: Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center & South Texas Blood & Tissue
What: Community Blood Drives
When: Monday, August 28, 2023, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. & Tuesday, August 29, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Where: Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center – Parking Lot
3333 N. Foster Maldonado Blvd. Eagle Pass, TX 78852
About Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center
Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center® is a progressive acute care facility and medical center that serves Eagle
Pass, Texas and surrounding regions. FDRMC is always working to enhance the services it provides to patients. The
hospital is actively recruiting doctors, including cardiologists, obstetricians/gynecologists and primary care
physicians. Through these efforts, we are working to provide better healthcare, meet increased demand for
healthcare services and improve the quality of life for residents of our community. We are committed to providing
healthcare services that patients recommend to families and friends, physicians prefer for their patients,
purchasers select for their clients, employees are proud of, and investors seek for long-term results. For more
information, please visit www.fortduncanmedicalcenter.com.
About South Texas Blood & Tissue
South Texas Blood & Tissue (STB&T) is a nonprofit community blood center that provides blood, plasma, platelets
and other blood components to more than 100 hospitals and healthcare providers throughout Texas and beyond.
As the largest blood supplier in South Texas, STB&T conducts hundreds of mobile blood drives each year and
provides over 400,000 units of blood to our healthcare partners.
Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Fort Duncan Regional medical Center.
The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.
