State Hospital Associations Highlight Need for Blood Donations

Hospitals and health systems across New England are facing a critical shortage of all blood types and are seeking volunteer donors and host sites.  Every donation helps save a life and is essential to ensuring community health.  Donating blood takes only about an hour of your time but to someone who needs blood, it gives them the gift of time by saving their life through your donation.  

Transfusions made possible by blood donations are a critical aspect of the lifesaving care that hospitals and health systems provide every day.  Blood donations save millions of lives and ensure that hospitals can provide the level of care their patients and communities depend on when they need it most.  The need for blood is universal, but access to blood for all those who need it is not.

“We are experiencing such significant blood shortages that many of our hospitals are down to critical levels,” said Steve Ahnen, president of the New Hampshire Hospital Association.  “We continue to collaborate with our American Red Cross partners and encourage every Granite Stater who is able to donate blood to do so soon so that we can increase blood supplies across the state.”

“Summertime is the most challenging time for the blood supply in a normal year,” said Steven Michaud, president of the Maine Hospital Association.  “This past year has been anything but normal and it has added even more strain on an already scarce resource.  We plead with everyone to give as soon as they are able and save a life.” 

“People in communities across Massachusetts continue to ask what they can do to support our healthcare providers as they recover from the pandemic. Right now, the answer is simply to donate blood,” said Steve Walsh, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association. “Giving blood is a simple but powerful way to help your local healthcare organizations continue serving every patient in need.” 

“Vermonters step up to meet every challenge we face, especially during the pandemic and I know this will be no different,” said Devon Green, Vice President of Government Relations at the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. “The need for life-saving blood knows no geographical border and we must work together to meet this critical need. If you are able, please give blood as soon as you can.”

By donating blood, you could be the difference in life-saving treatment so please be a patient’s hero and schedule an appointment to donate blood today at https://www.redcross.org.  To learn more about ways to donate blood and host blood drives, visit the American Red Cross of Northern New England online at https://www.redcross.org/local/me-nh-vt.html.

Save a life and donate blood today.