Bary Area blood banks running low on supply By MATT KAPKO Bay City News Service May 24, 2005 With the hot summer months fast approaching, Bay Area blood banks are beginning to run short on their blood supply. "We're not in a critical state yet, but it's not a great way to start the summer,'' Blood Centers of the Pacific (BCP) spokeswoman Lisa Bloch said today. BCP provides blood supply to Bay Area hospitals in Napa, Solano, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. The American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter supplies hospitals in Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara and Monterey counties. Blood donations typically drop off this time of year, according to both blood banks, but this entire year has been particularly bad for the Red Cross. "It's been a bad year for blood donations,'' American Red Cross spokeswoman Sara O'Brien said today. "As of today, we're almost 700 units of blood behind where we need to be.'' The American Red Cross' supply goal is based on local hospitals' needs that typically run around 450 units a day, O'Brien said. A unit of blood is approximately one pint. "This year has just been particularly poor and now we're getting ready for summer where we always see a drop in blood donations,'' she said. "The unfortunate thing is that this is common for this type of year,'' Bloch said. "Memorial Day is really tough for us. "The ideal is to have a five-day supply of blood. Right now we're pretty much looking at a three-day supply at best,'' she said. At BCP, the low supply is consistent with previous years. "Right where we are right now is where we've been the past couple years and that's not a good place,'' Bloch said. "People need to understand it could be you or me who needs blood tomorrow, and there's no substitute for blood,'' O'Brien said. "Every time a person donates blood they may be helping to save three lives.'' The Red Cross is offering promotions this summer to help fill the void. Each week it will randomly select a blood donor to receive a 0 gas card and at the end of the summer it will offer a helicopter tour of the San Francisco Bay, O'Brien said. "This is a great way to make a big difference in someone's life,'' Bloch said. Donors typically donate one unit of blood and can safely donate every 56 days, O'Brien said, adding that blood can no longer be used after 42 days. "We don't need a surge, we need daily donors,'' O'Brien said. "Most people don't think about donating blood until somebody they're close to needs blood.'' To donate blood, the Bay Area chapter of the Red Cross can be reached at (800) 448-3543 or online at http://www.bayarea-redcross.org. Blood Centers of the Pacific can be reached at (888) 393-4483 or online at www.bloodcenters.org. Home