Hospital System Issues Emergency Call for Blood Donations

Inova Blood Donor Services has issued a call for eligible blood donors to visit their local blood center or mobile blood drive to donate blood and/or platelets as soon as possible.

Inova, a nonprofit healthcare system that operates multiple hospitals in Northern Virginia, including , is asking donors to schedule an appointment or find a blood drive or donor center in proximity by visiting www.inova.org/donateblood or calling 1-866-BLOODSAVES (866-256-6372).

“The inventory of blood at Inova has been severely impacted by a lower than normal blood donor participation rate attributable to an unseasonably mild early spring coupled with summer activities and vacations,” said Terri Craddock, director of Inova Blood Donor Services, in a statement.

“This has lead to critically low inventory levels of blood and platelets, leaving hospitals vulnerable in response to emergency patients as well as challenged in meeting in or out-patient procedures requiring the use of blood and blood products.”   

Inova must collect approximately 250 units every day to keep up with demand, yet collections have slipped to between 150 to 200 units daily. While all blood types are needed, O positive, O negative, B negative and A negative are especially in demand in order to meet patient needs this summer.