MercyOne Air Med coordinating blood drives in Des Moines, Mason City and Sioux City May 13

Des Moines/Mason City/Sioux City, Iowa –MercyOne Air Med is partnering with LifeServe Blood Center, Iowa’s largest nonprofit community based blood center, to host blood drives in three regions across the state. The donation event, called “Answering the Call to Save Lives” will be held Friday, May 13 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in Des Moines, Mason City and Sioux City.

LifeServe bloodmobiles will accept blood donations at MercyOne helipads at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center and MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center. Donations in MercyOne’s North Iowa region will be at the LifeServe donor center in Mason City.

Potential donors can sign up online for an appointment, meet the flight teams and tour the helicopters. Food trucks will be available to grab a bite before or after donating. All donors will receive an event T-shirt and prizes will be given at each location.

Blood products are crucial to hospitals and EMS systems. When MercyOne Air Med helicopters launch on lifesaving missions, units of blood are on board. Recently, heavier seasonal blood needs and the COVID-19 pandemic tightened available blood supplies.

“We appreciate the willingness of our colleagues and community members to answer the call to save lives,” said MercyOne Air Med flight nurse Sara Meyer. “Their blood donations matter when they are needed most.”

Held in previous years in Des Moines, the MercyOne Air Med blood drive has become one of LifeServe’s largest donor events. Expanding to MercyOne Air Med’s additional service areas is promising.

“MercyOne is passionate about recruiting blood donors because they see the direct impact it makes to their lifesaving work every single day,” said Danielle West, LifeServe Blood Center Director of Public Relations and Marketing.

MercyOne Air Med serves more than two-thirds of Iowa and is available 24/7 for on-scene emergency and hospital-to hospital transport. MercyOne can provide rapid transportation for anyone who requests service within an approximate 150-mile radius of our helicopter bases.

###

About MercyOne

MercyOne is a connected system of health care facilities and services dedicated to helping people and communities live their best life. MercyOne’s care providers and staff make health the highest priority. The system’s clinics, medical centers, hospitals and affiliates are located throughout the state of Iowa and beyond. Headquartered in central Iowa, MercyOne was founded in 1998 through a collaboration between CommonSpirit Health and Trinity Health – two of the country’s foremost, not-for-profit Catholic health organizations.

About LifeServe Blood Center

LifeServe Blood Center is a non-profit, community based blood center that has served the needs of local hospitals and patients in our regions since 1963. As one of the 15 largest blood centers in the country, LifeServe Blood Center is the SOLE provider of blood and blood products to more than 120 hospitals located across Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. LifeServe is committed to saving lives by providing premier service to volunteer blood donors and access to a safe, quality blood supply for hospitals and patients. Your donation with LifeServe will help save your neighbor, a friend, family member or a stranger on the street. YOU make a difference in YOUR community. For more information about blood donation or to schedule an appointment to donate blood, call 800.287.4903 or visit www.lifeservebloodcenter.org.