Nearly 45 Utah hospitals could face dangerous delays in surgeries and transfusions after the American Red Cross declared a national blood crisis on Monday, July 27, only the second such emergency in the organization's history.
The supply of Type O positive blood has fallen below a single day's reserve, forcing the Red Cross to limit distribution to hospitals across the country. For Cottonwood Heights and Holladay residents, the nearest donation center is about 10 minutes away in Murray.
"We cannot manufacture blood, and there is no substitute for a donor who takes an hour to give," said Heidi Ruster, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region.
Ruster said thousands of Utahns have donated since the supply began dropping in late May, but the response has not been enough to reverse the decline. The national blood supply fell nearly 25% in one month leading up to July 13, and donations have since hit a four-year summer low.
The situation is dire.
Extreme heat, poor air quality, and widespread foodborne illnesses have kept potential donors home this summer, the Red Cross said, while hospital demand has stayed high.
The Red Cross supplies about 40% of the nation's blood to more than 2,500 hospitals and transfusion centers. In Utah, nearly 45 hospitals depend on that pipeline. The organization has also declared an emergency platelet shortage alongside the blood crisis.
The only previous national blood crisis came in January 2022, during the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How to donate
The Salt Lake Red Cross Blood and Platelet Donation Center at 6616 S. 900 E. in Murray is open seven days a week:
- Sunday and Monday: 6:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
- Tuesday and Wednesday: 11 a.m.–7 p.m.
- Thursday: 10:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
- Friday: 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
- Saturday: 6:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Appointments can be made through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, at redcrossblood.org, or by calling 1-800-733-2767.
All Utahns who donate blood or platelets by Friday, July 31, will receive a Fandango movie ticket by email, valued at up to $15. The Red Cross said donations remain urgently needed beyond that deadline.
