Central Illinois Community Blood Center (CICBC), Community Blood Services of Illinois (CBSI) and Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC) are issuing a call to prospective blood donors regarding the immediate need for donations to ensure the Blood Center’s ability to meet patient needs at local hospitals. The Blood Center, provider of blood and blood components to hospitals throughout our region, is concerned about the potential impact of a decline in the rate of blood donation. Prospective donors are urged to make an appointment to give blood by scheduling online at www.bloodcenterIMPACT.org or by calling your local center (CICBC: 866-448-3253, CBSI: 800-217-4483, MVRBC: 800-747-5401)
While all blood types are needed, the Blood Center especially hopes to see increased donations from type O-negative and type AB blood donors, whose blood and plasma donations, respectively, can be used with patients of every blood type.
Factors contributing to the recent decline in donations include:
- Inability to schedule blood drives at high schools and colleges during the summer months
- Increased activity and busy summer schedules within the Blood Center’s donor base
- Collection days lost to Fourth of July weekend and the ripple effect of Memorial Day (56 days after Memorial Day, causing a low reschedule rate for donors who give blood every eight weeks)
Amanda Hess, Director of Donor Relations reports that over the last eight weeks, the rate of blood donation has been off by about 20 percent from what they would normally see throughout the year. Blood donations are used to treat cancer patients, complications related to child birth, and with emergency patients who are injured in accidents.
