Pepco and MedStar Sponsor Employee Blood Drive

Utility Encourages Other Businesses to Help Make Up Possible Shortage Due to Federal Shutdown

Washington, D.C. - Pepco is hosting an employee blood drive with MedStar Health Blood Donor Services 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, at our Edison Place headquarters, 701 Ninth St., NW. Any Pepco employee who meets criteria for donating blood is encouraged to participate.

The partial shutdown of the federal government means agencies that normally hold blood drives are closed. This affects the supply of blood and blood products on hand for medical emergencies and scheduled surgeries.

"It will be my privilege to be one of the many Pepco employees stepping up to meet this need, and Pepco asks other area companies to do the same," said Donna Cooper, Pepco region president. "To donate blood is to give the gift of life."

Pepco scheduled this event in addition to its regularly scheduled, quarterly blood drives.

"We are grateful for Pepco's civic-minded response to the region's needs," said Shandy C. Destin, program manager for MedStar Health Blood Donor Services. "When you give blood through our service in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., region, you can be assured that your donation will be used to help people who live and work right here in our area."

To be a blood donor, you must:

Be in good general health
Be at least 17 years of age
Weigh at least 110 pounds
Present valid photo identification
Have no high-risk factors for HIV or hepatitis
Have had no cold, flu or symptoms of illness for at least seven days prior to donation
Wait at least eight weeks from your last blood donation (14 days since last platelet donation)
Eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water prior to donating

About MedStar Health
MedStar Health combines the best aspects of academic medicine, research and innovation with a complete spectrum of clinical services to advance patient care. As the largest healthcare provider in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, MedStar's 10 hospitals, the MedStar Health Research Institute and a comprehensive scope of health-related organizations are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care. MedStar has one of the largest graduate medical education programs in the country, training more than 1,100 medical residents annually, and is the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University. MedStar Health is a $4.5 billion not-for-profit, regional healthcare system based in Columbia, Maryland, and one of the largest employers in the region. Our almost 30,000 associates and 6,000 affiliated physicians all support MedStar Health's Patient First philosophy that combines care, compassion and clinical excellence with an emphasis on customer service. For more information, visit MedStarHealth.org.

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Pepco, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM), delivers safe, reliable and affordable electric service to more than 793,000 customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia.