![news image](https://www.vitalant.org/getattachment/70ded554-a464-46d1-b418-dea2d96d458a/kidsincar.jpg?lang=en-US&ext=.jpg)
The Heat is On. Hospitals Need to Know Summer Blood Drives are on the Schedule
The need for blood drives and donations might sound routine, but hospitals need to know summer blood drives are on the schedule. As of the date of this article, there is a need for 3,000 more blood drives* May through August for Vitalant to meet the medical needs of patients and healthcare partners nationwide.
![news image](https://www.vitalant.org/getattachment/ac5f8188-66f6-4231-8ca5-bbd73413e3e0/why-is-blood-donation-important-for-blood-transfusions-vitalant.jpg?lang=en-US&ext=.jpg)
Why Is Blood Donation Important for Blood Transfusions?
Every year, millions of people in the U.S. receive lifesaving blood transfusions. So what exactly is a blood transfusion, anyway?
![news image](https://www.vitalant.org/getattachment/7886de0c-379a-4eae-8f1c-615fe8419c5c/a-guide-to-giving-blood-vitalant-2023.jpg?lang=en-US&ext=.jpg)
Pump It Up: A Guide to Giving Blood in 2023
Never donated blood before? There’s a first time for everything! Still, you probably know that blood is used all the time to help hospital patients, and transfusions take place constantly. Stick with us, and we’ll teach you everything you need to know about blood donation. Let’s start with …
![news image](https://www.vitalant.org/getattachment/c5e11f60-10c6-42d5-ad6a-61bdee4e0f5d/Collaborate.jpg?lang=en-US&ext=.jpg)
Vitalant Staff Persevere During Severe Winter Weather
When Mother Nature comes between lifesaving units of blood and patients in need, Vitalant team members pull out all the stops to ensure blood donations reach their destination.
![news image](https://www.vitalant.org/getattachment/996def0f-7ba4-4e02-bf3c-8b8aa68f06dc/John-Roper-2022.png?lang=en-US&ext=.png)
Blood Donation Wellness Check Alerts Donor to Serious Illness
John, a longtime Colorado blood donor, discovered he had a serious illness thanks to the mini-physical all donors receive before a blood donation.