Four Blood Types Urgently Needed to Keep Blood Bank in Supply

The Garth Englund Blood Center in northern Colorado is asking community members with O-positive, O-negative, A-positive, or A-negative blood to donate as soon as possible to end shortages resulting from a “terrible perfect storm” of impacts on blood supplies.

Dan Bolchen, Garth Englund team leader, said shortages occurred due to the ailing economy, the holidays, snowy weather, unexpected surgical needs, and blood supply shortages across the state.

“We’ve entered into a terrible perfect storm,” he pointed out.

Bolchen said Garth Englund has attempted to acquire blood from donation centers elsewhere in Colorado, but efforts have proven unsuccessful because other centers said they are short of supply, too.

“The blood shortage seems to be statewide,” he said.

Meanwhile, as with other blood centers in the U.S., Garth Englund now receives fewer donations due to changes in the economy. Some businesses that once regularly conducted employee blood drives have gone out of business or laid off staff members.

For example, a January 12 onsite blood drive at a local business—one that held successful employee blood drives for Garth Englund in the past—resulted in 75 percent fewer donations because the company recently laid off a large number of employees.

“The ailing economy has had a huge impact on blood supplies,” Bolchen said.

He said two other influences have recently impacted supplies. As happens almost every year at this time, shortages occur because some people are too busy during the holidays to donate blood. In the meantime, the number of blood donations dwindled even more during the last month because some donors chose not to travel to a donation center though the freezing snowy weather that recently struck Colorado.

For Garth Englund, another reason exists for the shortages: Some surgeries at Poudre Valley Hospital, Fort Collins, and Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland, have required more blood supplies than expected. Blood donated to Garth Englund remains in northern Colorado and is used by patients at the two hospitals.

Donations can be scheduled by calling (970) 495-8965 in Fort Collins or (970) 624-1510 in Loveland.

Scheduling an appointment is highly recommended, but donors can also walk into Garth Englund’s two blood centers. One center is located at Medical Center of the Rockies while the other center is near the Family Medicine Center in Pennock Plaza, about three blocks north of Poudre Valley Hospital.

Hours of operation:
Fort Collins: 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday and Tuesday;
10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday;
and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.

MCR: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday;
10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday;
and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.

A person can donate blood every 56 days. Donors must be at least 18 years old, or 17 years of age with a parent’s permission, and be able to show a photographic identification. A donor must weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health.

–PVHS–

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Posted by Community Manager on Jan 18 2010 Filed under Announcements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry