American Red Cross Issues Local Blood Supply Alert

The American Red Cross Penn-Jersey Region is issuing a blood supply alert for New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania. All blood types are needed; however there is a critical need for Type O blood. Brigid O'Neill-LaGier, CEO of the Penn-Jersey Region, is appealing to people in the community to donate blood. "The blood supply is a community resource; a resource that solely relies on volunteer donors in communities across the country. Locally, we are at risk of not being able to provide enough blood of certain types needed to support patient care."

Why is the American Red Cross issuing a blood supply alert locally?

RWJ Hamilton Blood Drive RWJ Hamilton will be holding a blood drive on Friday, September 26, on our main campus in the Outpatient Services Auditorium from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Click here to schedule your appointment. Can't make it to the RWJ Hamilton blood drive on September 26? There are also community blood drives and donor centers located throughout New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania seven days a week. To donate blood through the American Red Cross, individuals must be at least 17 years if age, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in general good health. Eligible individuals are urged to call 1.800.GIVE LIFE or visit www.pleasegiveblood.org to find out where they can give the gift of life.

The American Red Cross supplies nearly half of the nation's blood supply to hospitals through 35 blood service regions across the country. Although the Red Cross system is able to ship blood when and where it is needed, volunteer blood donors of all blood types are needed everyday to replenish and sustain the blood supply both nationally and locally. "When one region or area of the country experiences low blood supplies, it puts a strain on the entire blood collection system, which could ultimately affect patient care locally," says O'Neill-LaGier.

Population density, along with patient care within these regions, is vastly diverse, making blood collection an issue of supply and demand based on blood type. Currently in New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania, the need is greatest for O Negative and O Positive blood. O'Neill-LaGier states that "if you have one of the critical blood types we need right now or even if you don't know your blood type, we ask you to donate blood as soon as possible. If we can not keep up with the demand for these blood types, the health of local patients may be at risk."

Many factors influence why the blood supply is at critical levels locally making this a challenging time for the American Red Cross Penn-Jersey Region to collect the blood needed. Despite this fact, the demand for blood remains constant. 2,000 units of blood must be collected each and every day in New Jersey and southeastern

Pennsylvania just to meet the basic needs of area hospitals and the patients they serve.

"In New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania, we have been struggling to meet our local hospital blood supply needs for various reasons – severe weather, blood drive cancellations, and blood donors not keeping their appointments. It is critical that more people in our local communities donate blood right now," O'Neill-LaGier adds.

More About RWJ Hamilton
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJ Hamilton) is the only New Jersey hospital to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Located in Hamilton Township, NJ, the hospital is part of the RWJ Health System and Network and is affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey-RWJ Medical School and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

The RWJ Hamilton Health Care Corporation serves communities within a five-county area and includes an acute care hospital, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Hamilton, three affiliated medical groups, seven Lakeview Child Centers, and the RWJ Hamilton Center for Health & Wellness, home of a medically-based fitness center and the hospital's extensive community education program. Over 1,900 hospital employees and 650 medical staff physicians share RWJ Hamilton's passion for Excellence Through Service. For more information, visit www.rwjhamilton.org.