Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood – but only about 10 percent of those who are eligible to give actually make a blood donation each year. Donated blood is a necessary part of helping patients cope with a wide variety of conditions, including burns, trauma, heart surgery, cancer, organ transplants and more. And a little goes a long way, as a one-time blood donation can save the lives of up to three people. It’s one of the best ways to give back to others and help improve the health of our community.

At Wilson Medical Center, we’re proud to partner with our local American Red Cross chapter to host local blood drives. To help mark National Blood Donation Month this January, we are hosting a blood drive on Wednesday, January 9, from noon to 6 p.m. in the Wilson Medical Center Auditorium. To be eligible to donate, a person must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in generally good health.

Donating blood is a simple and safe process that includes registration, a confidential medical history survey and mini-physical, and the donation itself, which takes no more than 10 minutes. After your donation, you’ll receive a rejuvenating snack and a brief rest so you can get back to your day’s activities with minimal disruption.

Getting the donation process started is quick and easy with the American Red Cross’ RapidPass service, which you can complete by visiting www.redcrossblood.org/rapidpass. You can also use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, which you can download from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. RapidPass gives you a head start on your pre-donation education and health history survey and allows you to save time at the donation location.

If you’d like to make an appointment to donate blood, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter the Sponsor Code: Wilson Medical Center. Or you can call 252-399-8470.

Lisa Briley is the director of Marketing & Development, Physician Recruitment and Provider Relations at Wilson Medical Center.