Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
According to the Red Cross estimated 6.8 million people in the U.S. donate blood each year. 13.6 million units of whole blood and red blood cells are collected in the U.S. in a year.
However, the need for blood, far outpaces the gains
Some patient care is being postponed due to blood shortages. We are seeing upticks in hospitalizations across the country, with RSV and Flu, to other issues, we know Covid is not done, and may be with us for quite some time into the future. It is essential that we plan and build up our blood banks to cover any possible contingency. We know we will need it.
Why give blood?
Blood donation is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries. Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, this lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation.
What causes such shortages?
People and availability. People may not even think of blood donation importance. Through our busy daily lives, we may just not have the time to donate.
Recently, The Red Cross teamed up with the NFL to give people a chance to win Super Bowl tickets for Blood donors in the hopes of more donations. Sometimes, we may not even know where to go to donate. Doctors are having to make difficult choices and delays in patient care due to the shortage. There are accidents and disease treatments, that bring on the need for blood transfusions, people who seriously need blood to survive. Medical institutions across the country are doing everything they can to increase blood donation.
According to the Red Cross, there has been a 10% decline in blood donation since the start of the pandemic. You can imagine trying to staff a blood donation team, moreover, to get people to show up and donate, in the thick of the pandemic! Imagine what that gap-loss did to our blood bank stocks, and the loss of important care.
Limited Blood Supply around the country
The Red Cross has even had to limit blood distributions to hospitals. Imagine, if you will, a family 
member going to the hospital for a surgery, only to be turned away, or worse, because of blood shortages. This is a monumental problem that only we the people can solve through more Blood donation.
January is Blood Donation Month
Every January is Blood Donation Month. It is a point of regular awareness for the public, about doing your part and donating blood. We need blood every day in America, for any number of reasons. Our bodies can replace blood over time, with the average adult having around 10 pints of blood. A blood donation is about 1 pint (500 mL).
Our bodies make about 2 million red cells every second, so no need to worry, our bodies can make more rather quickly!
After you donate, you should wait 12 weeks before you do it again. If everyone in America donated blood every three months, we would be in a better place.
How do we get people to donate?
Provide incentive, like the aforementioned NFL tickets, money (yes they will pay you to donate), and making it easier to bring the blood donation system to you.
One of the other ways to incentivize, is through a blood donation vehicle called the Bloodmobile.
Putting a Bloodmobile out on the road, dispersed to key locations in the community, can greatly impact your blood donation collections – across the country!
Alerting the people of the Bloodmobile in advance, the people can show up and donate.
Bloodmobiles are perfect asset for outreach expansion, and are ideal for fast deployment in semi-permanent locations which include public places with limited space, outlying and rural communities, and remote areas that would otherwise go without.
Getting the word out
Encourage your patients to think about blood donation through flyers, brochures, emails, and phone calls. When they are in your care, have signs in the exam room about blood donation.
Share the word to the public about date and location of Blood Drives, and Bloodmobile distributions.
When you gain their contact information, such as an email, send them one regularly. Instill in every patient, the need for blood donation. When your facility is going to have a Bloodmobile out there, alert your patients through those means.
Saving lives
It is more essential than ever before to get the word out about increasing Blood donation.
It’s just one pint at a time, to save more lives.
Plan for your blood donation today.
