Medical Center to Honor Doctors.
DANVILLE, VA - (March 21, 2007) - In recognition of Doctors Day, Danville Regional Blood Center will hold a special blood drive this Friday, March 30.

"I cannot imagine a better way to express gratitude to your doctor than by giving blood in his honor," said Art Doloresco, Chief Executive Officer of Danville Regional Medial Center. "Doctors know first-hand that blood saves lives." Doctors' Day was started in l933 to honor physicians. March 30 was chosen because that was the day of the first use of ether anesthesia in surgery, a historic event in medicine. Congress has authorized March 30 as National Doctors' Day.

The Blood Center will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday. It is located at 201 S. Main Street in the Danville Regional Professional Building across from the Medical Center.

The Danville Regional Blood Donor Center was established in l947 to ensure that a steady supply of blood is available to serve the Danville area.

The Blood Center provides the Medical Center with more than 7,000 units of blood and blood products each year. "Unfortunately, that does not meet the needs in the Medical Center, so we must ask healthy residents to donate blood," said Kathy Haney, Transfusion Services Team Leader.

"The blood we collect stays right here at the Medical Center to help take care of and save the lives of patients at Danville Regional," Haney said. "By giving to your local Danville Regional Blood Center, you are saving lives of friends and family members.

"Blood makes many medical and surgical procedures possible and is needed for accident victims and patients receiving treatment for cancer, leukemia and other diseases," Haney said.

The Blood Donor Center is registered with the Federal Food and Drug Administration and accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks and the College of American Pathologists.

For information on becoming a blood donor, call 434 799.3743.