Local centers feeling effects of critical nationwide blood shortage

Jul. 8—The struggle to maintain the nation's blood inventory during a pandemic has reached a critical point, leaving many centers operating on a few days' supply as donations taper off and hospitals see more demand.

Periodic, localized blood shortages are not uncommon, but this shortage is "unprecedented in its scope," Dr. Claudia Cohn, chief medical officer for the American Association of Blood Banks, said in a statement.

The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks — the sole blood supplier for Freeman Health System and Mercy Hospital Joplin — and the American Red Cross are facing severe shortages of all blood types.

Anthony Roberts, executive director of the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, said the shortage is different from what they've experienced over the past year.

"At the beginning of the pandemic, people stopped donating altogether," but at the same time, hospitals stopped some surgeries, "so we were able to keep up pretty much through the entire pandemic," Roberts said. "There were some ebbs and flows where we had shortages, and there were times where we were in good shape.

"Now, we're down to what we call an 'emergent level,'" he added. "Type A, AB and O blood is down to a one-day supply. Type B-positive and B-negative are in OK shape right now. But blood expires every 42 days. It doesn't have a very long shelf life."

Officials point to a number of factors, including the typical summer drop in blood donations at a time when surgeries are increasing because procedures were postponed earlier in the pandemic.

Globe efforts to obtain comment from Mercy and Freeman Health System on the blood shorage were unsuccessful Wednesday afternoon.

'Not a good situation'

The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks is the exclusive provider of blood and blood products to over 40 hospitals in a 40-county area in Southwest Missouri, Northwest Arkansas and Southeast Kansas. That takes in hospitals in Joplin, Carthage, Neosho, Monett, Lamar and Cassville as well as Columbus, Kansas, and Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Roberts said the center has experienced periods of maintaining an adequate supply of blood but has seen a noticeable decrease in collections over the last two months. Donations typically decrease in the summer, but the pent-up demand to travel and resume summer activities has resulted in a significant shortfall in blood donations, he added.

"Our usage in the last year has increased about 10% to 12% of what we usually see over a similar time frame," he said. "Usage is up, collections are down, so it's not a good situation for our local hospitals and the patients in the area. This is not what we want to see."

The center's 17th annual Bleed Red Blood Drive with the Springfield Cardinals is slated July 12-16 at the Joplin Donor Center in Northpark Mall. Hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. The annual event usually collects more than 100 units in Joplin.

"It really is the blood drive that kicks things off as we roll out of summer and move into the school year in the latter part of August," he said. "We do encourage appointments, and we'll have a T-shirt, tickets and other giveaways. One of the things that we have seen in Joplin throughout the pandemic has been our blood collections increasing in our Joplin center."

In fiscal year 2021, Roberts said, the Joplin center received more than 3,000 donations, which is now the all-time high, breaking last year's record of 2,690 units.

"It increased by about 500 units, and we need to continue to have that support from the Joplin area because Joplin hospitals use significantly more units than what we're able to collect," he said.

3-day supply

The American Red Cross provides more than 40% of the nation's blood supply when the agency responds to disasters like hurricanes and wildfires. Nationwide, the Red Cross normally has a five-day supply of all types of blood, Kelly Isenor, spokesperson for the Red Cross of Massachusetts, said in a statement.

Stacy Burks, executive director for the American Red Cross of Southern Missouri, said the organization has about a three-day supply of most blood types and only a two-day supply for Type O blood.

"It was definitely pre-pandemic since we've had this type of a shortage," she said. "We normally issue a blood shortage alert like this when we have less than just a few days' supply of blood."

Burks added: "The Red Cross provides many of the hospitals in the surrounding metro areas with blood."

The need for blood is tremendous, and there is greater hospital demand for blood from patients who previously deferred care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Some hospitals are being forced to slow the pace of elective surgeries until the blood supply stabilizes, delaying crucial patient care," said Chris Hrouda, president of Red Cross Biomedical Services, in a statement last month. "As we return to pre-pandemic activities and resume travel to visit loved ones, we want people to remember the needs of patients this summer and the power so many of us have to help save lives."

The following locations will be offering blood donation events with the American Red Cross:

—Monday, July 12: Walgreens at 2001 S. Range Line Road in Joplin. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

—Monday, July 26: Joplin Elks Lodge 501 at 1802 W. 26th St. in Joplin. Hours are from noon to 5 p.m.

—Thursday, July 29: Victory Ministry and Sports Complex at 3405 Hammons Blvd. in Joplin. Hours are from 1 to 6 p.m.

—Friday, July 30: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 2107 S. Indiana Ave. in Joplin. Hours are from 1 to 6 p.m.

—Thursday, Aug. 26: Joplin Public Library at 1901 E. 20th St. in Joplin. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Appointments can be made using the Red Cross blood donor app, visiting www.redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-733-2767.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.