Help Torrance Memorial maintain an adequate blood supply for our patients
by scheduling your blood donation appointment at the Torrance Memorial
Blood Donor Center.
Blood is a priceless gift - a lifesaver. Even the best trained medical
personnel, using the most advanced equipment, become helpless in the event
a patient needs blood and none is available. The gift of blood can only
come from another human being... there are no substitutes.
Torrance Memorial Blood Donor Center
The Blood Donor Center at Torrance Memorial was established in 1977 to
assure that a steady supply of blood is available for our patients when
they need it.
Patients at Torrance Memorial require approximately 600 - 1,000 units of
blood and components per month. You can help us maintain an adequate supply
by becoming a regular blood donor.
The Need for Regular Donors
The need for blood is constant. In Los Angeles County, alone, 1,000 pints
of blood are used daily, and many more must be accessible for emergencies.
This demand for blood is ever-increasing. Blood supplies are used to treat
accident and burn victims, internal bleeding, shock, blood deficiency
diseases, and for surgeries. Regular blood donors ensure a fresh supply
of blood is available, when needed. Blood may be donated as often as every
eight weeks.
Who is Eligible to Donate?
- Those persons, aged 17 or older
- Individuals weighing at least 110 lbs
- Healthy people with no history of hepatitis
How to Donate
Donating blood is quick and simple, requiring only about half an hour in
the comfort of Torrance Memorial's Blood Donor Center. The body replaces
this volume quickly, in about a day.
Call Torrance Memorial's Blood Donor Center for an appointment,
310-517-4647. If you are on a prescribed medication, be sure to mention this when arranging
your appointment, and remember to eat before arriving at the center.
What Happens to Your Donation
Several patients benefit from the pint of blood you donate. Your donation
can be refrigerated and used as whole blood for transfusions, or it can
be separated into its components - platelets (a clotting factor), red
cells, plasma, and other derivatives. These components can be used in
the treatment of numerous conditions, such as anemia, burns, shock and
to control bleeding. Whole blood and red cell concentrates can be refrigerated
and stored from 35 to 45 days, while platelets, used to control bleeding,
last only five days. Plasma can be frozen for one year. The relatively
short shelf life of blood requires constant replenishment of the supply.
Large Group Program
Large groups are also welcome at Torrance Memorial's Blood Donor Center,
including those interested in donating in the name of a patient or former
patient, or in the memory of a friend or relative.
For further information on any of these programs, please call the Blood
Donor Center at
310-517-4647.
Location
Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Outpatient Center, 2nd Floor
(across the elevator)
3317 Medical Center Drive
Torrance, CA 90505
Hours
M 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
T - Th 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
F 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM