NCMC Blood Donor Center
(970) 350-6100
We are always in need of blood and welcome all donor types!
Do you know your blood Type? Your blood will be tested to determine your "ABO" type and your "Rh type". The majority of the population has either the O or A blood type (see the table below), and most of us are Rh positive. For this reason, it is very important for us to collect blood from donors of blood types A and O, since most of the blood we need is for people who carry those types. It is of equal importance, however, for us to get blood from donors who are Rh-negative, since their blood is the only kind that can be given to patients who are Rh-negative (Rh-positive patients can receive either Rh-negative or Rh-positive blood). In fact, donors who are type O AND are Rh-negative (we call these donors "O negative") are of special importance; their blood can be given to just about anyone, and they are known as "universal donors".
Blood Type Percentage of Population (approximate)
Blood Tests
In addition to testing your blood to determine your blood type, we are required by the federal government to thoroughly test your blood for the presence of any sign of infectious disease. This is obviously done to make as sure as we can that our blood is safe. We will test your blood for evidence of infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus (HTLV), syphilis, and West Nile Virus (during the summer to early fall months). The testing is highly advanced and state-of-the-art, and it does a very good job at keeping our blood supply from being contaminated by these infectious agents
If your blood testing shows a potential problem, we will contact you by phone or letter to let you know what you need to do. Blood that tests positively for any of our infectious disease testing will not be used for transfusion.
Please do not attempt to donate blood so that you can be tested for AIDS or any other infectious disease. If you are in need of testing for whatever reason, you can contact the Weld County Health Department and they can assist you in being tested.
What products can be made from my donation?
One of the great advances of the last 50 years or so in blood transfusion is our ability to make several different products from each donation of blood. For whole blood donors, we can process the unit to make at least three different blood products, potentially providing life-saving help to three different patients with just a few minutes of your time.
Your blood will be taken and spun at high speeds in a large device called a centrifuge. When this happens, blood separates into three main parts: Red cells, plasma, and platelets. Each of these can potentially be harvested for use for individual patients.
We have a special need for donors who are willing to spend a little bit more time and donate units of platelets. If you are interested in making an even bigger difference in someone's life, click the link above or call us for more information.
Where is the blood used?
The vast majority of the blood collected by the NCMC Donor Center is used for patients in Northern Colorado (especially at North Colorado Medical Center), so you can donate with confidence that your blood will be used in our area for patients that you may even know. Through our partnership with the Bonfils Blood Center in Denver, some of our blood may be shipped to other facilities throughout Colorado in time of need. Some of our blood is used at other facilities such as McKee Medical Center in Loveland, Sterling Regional MedCenter in Sterling, and East Morgan County Hospital in Brush.