What you need to know
Currently, 19 blood drives are scheduled in North Texas at various locations throughout the summer months.
Healthy donors over the age of 16 can sign up for blood drives at the locations and times below:
- Medical City McKinney, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., June 3, 4500 Medical Center Dr, McKinney
- Medical City Lewisville, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., June 6, 500 W Main St, Lewisville
- Medical City McKinney, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., July 15, 4500 Medical Center Dr, McKinney
- Medical City Las Colinas, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., June 17, 6800 N MacArthur Blvd, Irving
- Medical City Decatur, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., June 18, 609 Medical Center Dr, Decatur
- Medical City Dallas, 7 a.m.-2 p.m., June 20, 7777 Forest Ln, Dallas
- Medical City Denton, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., June 20, 3535 S Interstate 35, Denton
- Medical City Heart & Spine, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., June 20, 11970 N Central Expy, Dallas
- Medical City Frisco, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., July 1, 5500 Frisco Square Blvd, Frisco
- Medical City Fort Worth, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., July 2, 900 8th Ave, Fort Worth
- Medical City Plano, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., July 2, 3901 W 15th St, Plano
- Medical City North Hills, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., July 3, 4401 Booth Calloway Rd, North Richland Hills
- Medical City Arlington, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., July 17, 3301 Matlock Rd, Arlington
- Medical City Alliance, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., July 22, 3101 N Tarrant Pkwy, Fort Worth
- Medical City Lewisville, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Aug. 1, 500 W Main St, Lewisville
- Medical City McKinney, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Aug. 7, 4500 Medical Center Dr, McKinney
- Medical City Denton, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., August 15, 3535 S Interstate 35, Denton
- Medical City Arlington, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Aug. 19, 3301 Matlock Rd, Arlington
The shortage is nationwide and caused by a decrease in donations because of vacations and other summer activities and an increase in demand, Carter BloodCare Public Relations Specialist James Black said in an email.
This is because 25% of the community blood supply is collected through high school blood drives, Black said.
“When these student donors are on summer break, and when regular donors aren’t giving blood because they’re away on vacation or preoccupied with summer plans, the local blood supply drops,” Black said.
Because of the storages, surgeries and medical treatments could be postponed until the required blood is available, Black said.
“Just as our hospitals never close, the need for lifesaving blood is constant,” Medical City Healthcare President Allen Harrison said in the release. “As part of Medical City Healthcare’s mission to care for and improve human life, we encourage our communities to join us, the Red Cross and Carter BloodCare to help meet our region’s blood demands and help save lives.”
What else?
Type B- blood is the most critical current need, meaning supply will only serve hospitals for one day, according to the Carter BloodCare website. The following blood types are listed as urgent, meaning there is a two to three day supply:
- Platelets
- A+
- A-
- O+
- O-
- B+
Measuring the impact
A blood transfusion occurs every two seconds in the United States, according to information found on America’s Blood Centers’ website.
Demand for donations is constant because of the wide range of medical situations:
- 1 in 7 hospitalized patients will require a transfusion during their stay.
- Transfusions are needed in 1 out of every 83 childbirths.
- More than 25% of the U.S. blood supply is used to help patients fighting cancer.
- Each donation (one pint) can help up to three patients, when whole blood is separated into its three components: red blood cells, plasma and platelets.
“We are grateful to Medical City Healthcare for its ongoing efforts to collect lifesaving blood to improve health outcomes for patients in need,” Linda Braddy, CEO of the American Red Cross North Texas Region said in the release. “We’re especially appreciative during the summer when the blood supply is low but the need is high.”
