2020-09-14 Blood Bank of Hawaii Resumes Collections in Hawaii County -- press release

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September 14, 2020 NEWS RELEASE Media Contacts – MVNP on behalf of Blood Bank of Hawai‘i: Kashmira Reid, (808) 784-3648, (808) 389-3771; kreid@mvnp.com Blood Bank of Hawaii Returns To Hawai‘i Island; Debuts New Website and Type-O Campaign In order to maintain a sufficient and diverse inventory of blood products for our state, Blood Bank of Hawai‘i continues its transition back to the Neighbor Islands. Collection teams will return to Hilo for the first time since March on September 22 through 24. Plans to host a Kona drive are underway, with dates yet to be confirmed. In Hilo, collections will take place at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Hilo Stake Cultural Hall, with hours of operation varying by day: Tuesday, Sept. 22 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to whole blood donations, healthy donors who have a lab-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and have been symptom-free for 28 days may contact Blood Bank of Hawai‘i to learn how they can donate their plasma. “We are grateful for the good work that the Blood Bank of Hawai‘i does, and we’re glad that in this time of the pandemic, that they are stepping up to provide their vital service to our community,” said Mayor Harry Kim. “We are exceedingly grateful to Mayor Kim for giving us permission to host our Hawai‘i Island drives this fall,” said Todd Lewis, Blood Bank of Hawai‘i chief operations officer. “Our staff is excited to return, and will do everything possible to make saving lives a safe and enjoyable experience.” ‘ In time for increased Neighbor Island registrations, Blood Bank of Hawai‘i launched a new, updated website this week. The new bbh.org provides a more engaging digital experience for donors and supporters with many new features. The online redesign now allows donors to find and register for a drive on the home page; shares donor and employee stories; and includes a searchable list of our state’s top donors. A special call to action for donors with type O blood has been added because Hawai‘i experiences a chronically low supply of this blood type. To stabilize the local supply, Blood Bank of Hawai‘i is rallying O-negative and O-positive donors. While all blood is needed, O-negative blood is the highest in demand because it’s accepted by everyone, and O-positive blood can be used by anyone with a positive blood type - which is about 80% of local residents. For more information, download the “O-Type People Unite” tool kit here.