Faced with a critical blood shortage since mid-June, Banner Health is encouraging all eligible donors across the Valley to roll-up their sleeves to donate blood.
The nonprofit healthcare system will be hosting a series of blood drives at many of their Arizona hospitals beginning today, Sept. 14. For a complete list of participating hospitals and their dates, visit Vitalant - Banner Vitalant Blood Drive Program.
Nonprofit blood services provider Vitalant has seen its blood supply fall nearly 50% from the beginning of the summer and is urging people make appointments to donate and help replenish the blood supply.
All blood types are needed, especially the most commonly transfused type O, according to Vitalant. Emergency room personnel use O-negative when there is not enough time to determine a patient’s blood type, and O-positive can help anyone with Rh-positive blood.
The Food and Drug Administration recently changed eligibility requirements. Previously, donors were unable to donate if they had traveled to France, Ireland or the United Kingdom due to the risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, also known as mad cow disease. Those who were previously unable to donate due to this deferral are now eligible to donate, as long as they meet all of the other eligibility requirements.
If you are unable to participate at one of the Banner campus blood drives, click on the virtual link to give blood in the name of your desired Banner campus at any Vitalant blood drive or donor center.
