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Practice Recently Held Donation Event to Raise Awareness

Abrams Eye Institute joins the American Red Cross in urging healthy people to donate blood in the face of a severe national shortage due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. Across the country, thousands have cancelled donation appointments, creating a blood shortage that could cause serious challenges for patients and healthcare providers.

Abrams Eye Institute Blood Donation Event

Abrams Eye Institute encourages you to donate blood.

The team at Abrams Eye Institute recently held a blood drive, partnering with the American Red Cross’s Bloodmobile visiting the Las Vegas eye surgery and eye care clinic. Dozens of Abrams team members; patients and members of the community came out to make donations to help those in need in Southern Nevada.

“We were proud of the efforts of team at Abrams Eye Institute, and everyone else who participated, to make a donation to help people in need,” said Dr. Jack Abrams. “The need has grown so much since that day, only a few weeks ago, and we now urge everyone who is healthy to help out by donating blood.”

Make an appointment to donate blood.

While it’s understandable that people may have concerns about donating blood right now, the American Red Cross has revised donation procedures to ensure donor safety. Such measures include urging people to postpone their donation for 28 days following foreign travel or if they’ve diagnosed with or have had contact with anyone with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.

Other safety measures taking during blood donation include:

  • Wearing gloves and changing them often
  • Wiping down donor-touched areas after every collection
  • Using sterile collection sets for every donation
  • Preparing the arm for donation with aseptic scrub
  • Conducting mini-physicals to ensure donors are healthy on donation day
  • Enhanced disinfecting of equipment
  • Providing hand sanitizer for use before entering and throughout the donation appointment
  • Temperature checks before donors enter blood drives or donation centers
  • Spacing beds to follow social distancing practices between donors

“During challenging times people often wonder what they can do to help out, and taking an hour of your day to safely donate blood is one simple act that can make a big impact,” said Dr. Abrams. “While donating blood, or doing anything else these days, we urge everyone to be safe, to wash their hands, avoid touching their face, socially distance themselves and stay home whenever possible.”

Similar to the American Red Cross, Abrams Eye Institute has rolled out procedures and protocols in patient care, following CDS and WHO guidelines. This include aggressive cleaning, revised patient check-ins including temperature checks, providing easy access to hand sanitizer for staff and patients, and keeping staff aware on all new developments regarding the virus.

Abrams Eye Institute Can Help

The team at Abrams Eye Institute can help you keep on top of your eye care with regular eye exams to ensure your eyes are healthy, as well as any eye surgery needs you may have. Call Abrams at 702-304-9494 to see how our award-winning service can help you.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.