Hospitals Experiencing High Demand for Blood Donations

To meet current hospital demand, the American Red Cross has an emergency need for blood donations as a nationwide and statewide severe blood shortage continues.

The Red Cross needs to collect more than 1,000 additional blood donations nationwide each day to end the shortage and is currently distributing about 12% more blood products to hospitals compared to a year ago.

Matt Ochsner, the regional communications director for the American Red Cross in Montana and Idaho, says between an increase in elective surgeries and summer activities causing trauma-related injuries, the blood demand has surged this year.

“In the summer there’s always an increase in accidents as people are out and about, and that increases the need for blood,” Ochsner said. “The summertime is also a difficult time to collect blood because people are busy seeing friends and family and everybody’s excited to do things.”

The Red Cross serves more than 30 hospitals and medical centers in Montana, and while a blood shortage exists in the state, Ochsner says the demand is not as high as the rest of the nation.

“Donors have been incredibly generous in Montana,” Ochsner said. “We’re not seeing the blood donation drops.”

Donors can use the Red Cross blood donor app to track their donated blood’s journey to see which hospital it goes to.

Individuals with a Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to donate along with those who are unvaccinated.

Red Cross is no longer offering antibody testing to detect past COVID-19 infections.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities in the Flathead:

Bigfork

Aug. 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Community United Methodist Church, 750 Electric Ave.

Columbia Falls

Aug. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bad Rock Fire Department, 23 Columbia Pines Court

Hungry Horse

Aug. 4 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Canyon Baptist Church, 950 U.S. Highway 2

Kalispell

Aug. 5 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kalispell Blood Donation Center, 126 North Meridian Rd.

Aug. 10 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kalispell Blood Donation Center, 126 North Meridian Rd.

Aug. 12 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kalispell Blood Donation Center, 126 North Meridian Rd.

Donors can schedule an appointment at www.redcross.org.