Coalition: Blood supplies, donations down; hospitals working to raise awareness, inspire giving as need peaks

Dave Sutor, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read

Jul. 21—Many of southwest Pennsylvania's medical care providers are now working together to raise awareness of the need for blood donations as supplies remain low in the region.

The coalition includes Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber, Conemaugh Health System and UPMC.

"I think that's extremely important that you have a coalition which comes together for the good of the region," Chan Soon-Shiong Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Csikos said. "This is all based on a patient-centered health system, physician-led health care model."

The group also includes Allegheny Health Network, Butler Health System, Excela Health, Heritage Valley Health System, Indiana Regional Medical Center, Sharon Regional Medical Center, St. Clair Health, VA Pittsburgh Health System and Washington Health System.

Each organization will run public service announcements at their own expense and direct people to the website givebloodsavelives.org that provides information about local blood banks.

The coalition released statistics about the blood supply in the southwest Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh region, noting that:

—New donors are down 12% since last year, according to Vitalant, a nationwide nonprofit organization that collects and provides blood.

—The available blood supply recently dropped to around two days' worth, which is half of the ideal four-day reserve.

—Vitalant collected approximately 13,000 fewer blood donations in April and May than it did in the same months last year.

—The number of southwest Pennsylvania blood donors has shrunk by 60% over the past 14 years.

Csikos attributed the recent decline in supplies to multiple factors, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic leading to blood drives being canceled and creating a general hesitancy among people who previously donated, along with there being an "unexplained" decrease in younger donors.

"All that has impacted blood supplies," Csikos said, "and the other thing to consider is that it always comes down to supply and demand.

"Generally, the summer months — June, July and August — are considered the peak trauma season for hospital emergency departments. You have more people traveling. There are more accidents. There are more traumatic injuries, people falling — and these people are coming to our emergency departments, requiring transfusions."

All blood types can be donated, but Type O is especially needed in southwestern Pennsylvania, according to information provided by Cindy Donohoe, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Highmark Health, the parent company of Allegheny Health Network.

"Every time you donate, you help ensure a patient's lifesaving treatment doesn't have to be put on hold," Vitalant Chief Medical and Scientific Officer Dr. Ralph Vassallo said in a released statement. "When patient needs consistently outpace blood donors, chances are higher a leukemia patient won't be able to get their regular transfusion, for example, or a patient will have their surgery delayed."