Emergency Need For Blood Donors In Washington, D.C., Region

WASHINGTON D.C. — The American Red Cross has issued an emergency call for blood donations to replenish a dwindling blood supply at hospitals after the long Fourth of July weekend. Currently blood donations are being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in, the agency said, and blood donors are needed to help avoid delays in lifesaving medical care.

Fewer blood donors and blood drives last week have escalated the Red Cross call for all blood and platelet donors to meet hospital needs. More than 450 fewer blood drives were held than during a typical week the week of July 4 which may have led to as many as 17,000 fewer blood donations. (Find planned blood drives this weekend in the DC region below.)

“Blood transfusions are one of the most common hospital procedures and blood donors play a critical role in ensuring there are enough products on the shelves to help patients in need,” said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer, American Red Cross, in a news release. “Each day, kids battling cancer, accident victims being raced to the emergency room and mothers experiencing complicated childbirths rely on lifesaving blood. We need the public’s help today to ensure we have enough blood to meet these dire needs.”

Schedule your blood donation appointment by visiting RedCrossBlood.org.

The Red Cross has added about 8,000 appointments at blood donation centers and blood drives across the country in the coming weeks to handle more donors. You can find a blood drive in your area by using the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767). Or, open the Red Cross Blood skill on an Alexa-enabled device with a selection of prompts such as, “Alexa, open Red Cross Blood Skill” and ask, for example, “Alexa, find a blood drive.”

Scheduled blood donations sites in the region include:

Friday, July 12, 2019

• Dr. Charles Drew Blood Donation Center, 1730 E Street NW, Washington, DC,7:30 AM - 3:30 PM
• Kentland Community Center - Battle of the Badges, 2413 Pinebrook Ave., Hyattsville, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
• Rockville Blood Donation Center, 11820 Parklawn Drive, Suite 510, Rockville, MD, 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Saturday, July 13, 2019

• Dr. Charles Drew Blood Donation Center, 1730 E Street NW, Washington, DC,7:30 AM - 3:30 PM
• Rockville Blood Donation Center, 11820 Parklawn Drive, Suite 510, Rockville, MD, 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Sunday, July 14, 2019

• Dr. Charles Drew Blood Donation Center, 1730 E Street NW, Washington, DC,7:30 AM - 3:30 PM
• Rockville Blood Donation Center, 11820 Parklawn Drive, Suite 510, Rockville, MD, 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Monday, July 15, 2019

• Dr. Charles Drew Blood Donation Center, 1730 E Street NW, Washington, DC,7:30 AM - 3:30 PM
• Rockville Blood Donation Center, 11820 Parklawn Drive, Suite 510, Rockville, MD, 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM
• Hughes United Methodist Church, 10700 Georgia Ave., Wheaton, MD, 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

• Dr. Charles Drew Blood Donation Center, 1730 E Street NW, Washington, DC,7:30 AM - 3:30 PM
• Alexandria Chapter House, 123 North Alfred St, Alexandria, VA, 12:30 PM - 06:00 PM

All blood types are needed to help ensure a sufficient blood supply is available for patients – especially type O negative and positive donors.

• Type O negative is the universal blood type and what emergency room personnel reach for when there is no time to determine the blood type of patients in the most serious situations.
• Type O positive is the most common blood type and can be transfused to Rh-positive patients of any blood type.

Eligible donors with types O negative and positive are asked to make a Power Red donation, where available. Power Red donors give a concentrated dose of red blood cells during a single donation, allowing them to maximize their impact.

Anyone who is 17 years old in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weighs at least 110 pounds and is in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.