American Red Cross encourages blood drive sign-ups after holiday season shortage
Geoffrey Calaway has blood drawn by phlebotomist Shannon Duggan at an American Red Cross blood drive at the Flathead National Forest office in Kalispell on Thursday, Jan. 27. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Officials with the American Red Cross are reporting the lowest number of blood donors nationwide in 20 years following a 7,000-unit shortfall in blood donations between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Blood products are currently going to hospitals faster than blood donations are coming in, and in recent weeks, the Red Cross has had to limit the distribution of type O blood, among the most transfused blood types, Red Cross officials said in a press release. The Red Cross will be holding several blood drives in Northwest Montana in the coming weeks.
American Red Cross Regional Communications Director Matt Ochsner said the organization provides blood supplies to Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains, St. Joseph Hospital in Polson and St. Luke Community Health Care in Ronan.
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