Stanford Blood Center Has Critical Need For O- Blood Types

June 30, 2022
Attention News Desk: Press Release (for immediate release)
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ross Coyle | 650-725-3804
rcoyle@stanford.edu

STANFORD, Calif. — When schools let out for summer and families set off on vacation, it presents a challenging time for collecting blood products. As a result, Stanford Blood Center (SBC) is currently facing an immediate need for all blood types, especially type O negative (O-) blood, and is asking Bay Area residents to come out and donate as soon as possible to help meet the needs of local patients.

“Summer is always a difficult time to collect blood donations. We typically see a decline in donors this time of year, which can impact patient care,” said Renee Gipson, Donor Services Director at Stanford Blood Center. “It’s the blood that we have readily available that allows us to save a life at a moment’s notice. So, before heading out for summer activities or that family vacation, we’re urging the community to please consider making an appointment to donate to help maintain a stable blood supply this holiday weekend and in the coming months.”

“Because of a drop in donations over the summer and higher than normal blood usage, we need to replenish the blood supply to sustainable levels. O- is one of the most frequently needed blood types for patients and, as of today, we have less than a four-day supply,” says Dr. Suchi Pandey, Chief Medical Officer at Stanford Blood Center. “We’re seeing an uptick in patient demand at our partner hospitals, especially during the last few weeks where we have supported numerous heart and liver transplants. In some cases, a single patient can require close to 100 units of blood in a few hours. Each time you donate you help ensure that a patient’s lifesaving treatment is met.”

If you’re thinking about donating for the first time, now is a great opportunity to help save lives. Donors are encouraged to make an appointment at one of three donation center locations in Campbell, Menlo Park, or Mountain View. Our donation centers are open seven days a week.

There are also a number of upcoming mobiles open to the public, including blood drives in Milpitas, Pleasanton, San Jose, and Sunnyvale. As a special thanks for keeping patients a priority, anyone who donates at any center or mobile drive July 1-31 will receive one free “Grateful for Life” collectible tie-dye t-shirt! Appointments can be scheduled online at stanfordbloodcenter.org, via our SBC mobile app, or by calling 888-723-7831.

Donors should be in good health with no cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms. Be sure to eat well prior to donation, drink fluids, and bring a photo ID to your donation. Eligibility information can be found at stanfordbloodcenter.org/eligibility or by calling 888-723-7831.

About Stanford Blood Center

Stanford Blood Center (SBC) is an independent, community blood center that supplies blood products and testing services to multiple Bay Area hospitals and is a recognized leader in the fields of transfusion and transplantation medicine. SBC was created at the Stanford University School of Medicine in 1978 to meet the complex transfusion and transplant needs of Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, as well as provide clinical trial services and specialized blood products for researchers. Today, the center remains locally focused, serving community hospitals, patients and donors, while contributing to research and advancement that impact the world at large. More information is available at stanfordbloodcenter.org.