ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The American Red Cross says it’s experiencing one of the worst blood shortages in U.S. history this summer.
The lack of donations has hit a four-year low. News10NBC’s Garrett Chan spoke with Rochester Regional Health leaders who said they’re prioritizing patients with severe anemia and those with multiple underlying health conditions.
BLOOD DONATION: See a list of upcoming blood drives in the Rochester region here
Others who could be impacted include those planning surgeries in the near future, as it may put further strain on hospital systems. Ken Lee, executive director of the American Red Cross Rochester chapter, says blood donations typically drop during the summer as more people go on vacation and there are no blood drives at schools. However, this current crisis is what he describes as a “perfect storm.”
“As long as there are some complications when women deliver babies, as long as they’re someone that’s diagnosed with cancer, as long as someone is suffering from sickle cell, all of those things, we want to make sure that the hospitals have the healthy inventory of blood, so that when these unfortunate incidents happen, they have the tools necessary to help save lives,” Lee said.
Lee also encouraged the need for platelet donations, which take longer than blood donations but are valuable for cancer patients.
Rochester Regional leaders wanted to emphasize the shortage doesn’t mean someone in a serious crash won’t get blood. Instead, it puts more pressure on the blood supply and can lead hospitals to delay those elective surgeries. The blood shortage is not impacting patient care right now at RRH, but leaders are monitoring the shortage.
Dr. Roberto Vargas, executive medical director for pathology and laboratory medicine at RHH, said managing blood supply is a dynamic process. Because blood has a limited shelf life, it can look good today but may not be a month from now. In terms of what happens when the hospital system reaches a real shortage, Vargas explained the process.
“Once we get to a real shortage, then it becomes a really precious commodity, and we try to look for other sources, and we talk about other options and how we can reduce our use and maybe use other things for expanding volume as opposed to red cells, how to manage anemia in a more conservative way,” Vargas said.
This is the second time the Red Cross has declared a blood shortage crisis. The first was back in 2022. Vargas said Rochester Regional was able to weather that shortage by managing its inventory across its entire health system each morning. It also looked at its operating room and cancer center schedule to see how many appointments they could fulfill.
Vargas said how long the blood emergency crisis will last ultimately depends on people’s willingness to donate. He said Rochester Regional will be monitoring the situation with the Red Cross on a day-to-day basis.
How to donate blood
There are dozens of upcoming blood drives in the Rochester region to help address the shortage. You can visit the Red Cross website to find a blood drive and book an appointment to give blood. You can also schedule an appointment on the Red Cross’s Blood Donor App or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Anyone who donates by July 31 can get a free Fandango movie ticket worth up to $15. In addition, anyone who donates from Aug. 1 through 31 can get a free $20 Amazon Gift Card.
RRH prepares for possible local impacts of one of the worst blood shortages ever WHEC.com.
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