A A

Blood Bank

There is no greater gift than becoming a blood donor and giving the gift of life to those who need it most. Giving blood is safe, easy, fast and saves lives. By donating blood, you will be helping children, adults, accident victims, people undergoing surgery, and maybe even a family member, coworker or friend.

HRMC is one of only two non-profit community blood banks in the state of South Dakota. Blood donated at HRMC is used locally, and not sent out of state. The Huron community uses more than 1,000 units of blood each year to meet the needs of patients with cancer, heart disease, leukemia, severe anemia, bone and joint disorders, as well as surgery and trauma.

New and recurring donors are an important part of the blood bank program, as blood can only be stored for 42 days.

Who can donate and how?

Donating blood is completely safe for the donor, and the process only takes about 30 minutes.

Donors must be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parental consent) and weigh at least 110 pounds.
Once you arrive at your appointment, you will complete a short questionnaire to determine if you have any risk factors that would prohibit you from donating blood. This questionnaire is completely confidential.
The donor must be in good health. An assessment of your health will be administered prior to your blood draw.
Donated blood is tested and donors are notified of any abnormalities through a confidential process.
After the blood draw, you can relax for a few minutes with refreshments.
Donors can donate up to one pint of blood every 56 days.

Common Blood Types

O+ 37%
O-      8%
A+    33%
A-      7%
B+      9%
B-      2%
AB+ 3%
AB-    1%

Note: People with type O are known as "universal donors" because anyone can receive their blood. People with type AB blood are known as "universal recipients" because they can receive blood from any ABO type.

Blood Bank Accreditation

HRMC’s blood bank meets rigid accreditation standards required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) and the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA).