BLOOD DRIVE SET TODAY AT ST. FRANCIS

The American Red Cross' first blood drive of the year at St. Francis Medical Center will be held today.

The drive will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the St. Francis Medical Center's Education Wing, Conference Rooms A and B.

The procedure usually takes less than an hour. Donors must meet certain health requirements and must be at least 17 years old.

The St. Francis drive is one of four scheduled to be held over the year. The others will be in April, July and October.

The blood supply may fall to critical levels during times of low donor turnout or increased demand. St. Francis is one of the organizations that assists the American Red Cross with add-on drives when these situations arise.

The hospital hosted five drives and collected 318 units of blood last year.