Opportunity to go from "bystander" to "lifesaver"

Published on Monday, May 18, 2026 in News Releases

ImpactLife is hosting a blood drive with MedicsFirst Ambulance Service Monday (May 18) in Springfield, kicking off National EMS Week by highlighting the importance of maintaining a strong and stable blood supply. That's especially important in the lead-up to Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial kickoff of summer, a time of year that many in the field of emergency medicine refer to as "trauma season." 

MEDICS FIRST BLOOD DRIVE
Monday, May 18  |  6* a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
MedicsFirst Ambulance Service
200 North Grand Ave. West, Springfield

and

Tuesday, May 19  |  6* to 9 a.m.
MedicsFirst Ambulance Service
200 North Grand Ave. West, Springfield

*EMS teams work around the clock. The 6 a.m. start time is set to accommodate those who are completing an overnight shift.

To schedule an appointment for donation, please call ImpactLife at (800) 747-5401 or book an appointment online at https://login.bloodcenter.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/148333.

"Stop the Bleed" Demonstrations Offered 10 to Noon on Monday 
MedicsFirst will provide demonstrations of "Stop the Bleed" training beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing until noon on Monday, May 18. Stop the Bleed is a national program developed by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma to bring knowledge of bleeding control to the public. ACS invites the public to take Stop the Bleed training and "go from bystander to lifesaver" through ACS bleeding control courses and kits that can empower anyone to save a life by learning 3 basic actions to control severe bleeding in an injured person. For more information on Stop the Bleed, see www.stopthebleed.org.

Trauma Season: Warm Temps Correlate to Increase in Injuries
Warm weather brings with it an increase in outdoor activity that often leads to a corresponding increase in 911 calls for accidents and injuries. Warm weather also coincides with an increase in gunshot wounds and other interpersonal violence. According to the American College of Surgeons, hemorrhage is the most common cause of death within the first hour of arrival to a trauma center and more than 80% of deaths in the operating room and nearly 50% of deaths in the first 24 hours after injury are due to severe blood loss. (U.S. Blood Donation Statistics and Public Messaging Guide, America’s Blood Centers.)

For ImpactLife, trauma season arrives at a time when blood inventories are in decline. That’s due in part to seeing fewer blood drives hosted by schools that are nearing the end of the academic year. The blood center is now looking to increase appointment schedules to meet increasing patient needs. 

ImpactLife Donor Rewards and Good Giving opportunity
Under ImpactLife's Donor For Life program, blood donors receive a voucher to redeem for their choice of an electronic gift card, bonus points to use in the ImpactLife Donor Rewards Store, or an equivalent value donation to support a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Reward values are based on donor frequency. See www.bloodcenter.org/rewards for complete information on current donor promotions and the Good Giving initiative.

About ImpactLife
ImpactLife's mission is to save lives by engaging donors, supporting partners, and advancing medicine. Founded in 1974, ImpactLife supplies blood products and services to more than 130 hospitals, emergency services organizations, clinical researchers, and other blood centers throughout Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri. The nonprofit blood provider is ranked among the leading 12 blood suppliers in the United States. For more information on current blood inventory levels, our donor promotions, and more, see www.bloodcenter.org and find us @impactlifeblood on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

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