Weather closures, donor turnout causing blood shortage in the Southeast

Nearly a dozen North Georgia hospitals are being asked to stop elective surgeries until next Wednesday due to a blood shortage.

Blood Assurance, a supplier of blood to hospitals in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee, asked 70 hospitals, including 11 in Georgia, for time to rebuild its inventory. It cited severe winter weather and the need for blood transfusions as the reasons for the shortfall.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the hospitals who use Blood Assurance products would suspend elective surgeries.

By Thursday afternoon, the blood center had less than a half-day supply of most blood types, according to a press release.

“The reason we made that decision is because of the weather and the closures that we’ve had across our service area, and blood drive cancellations on top of low donor turnout,” said Caitlin Stanley, director of marketing and public relations for Blood Assurance.

Atrium Health Floyd in Rome, Ga. said it has no plans to stop elective surgeries. “Our blood supplies currently remain well-stocked, and we have not made any changes to our surgery schedule,” said Dr. Ken Jones, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Atrium Health Floyd.

There are also no changes planned at Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center.

“Currently, Piedmont Cartersville is continuing normal surgical operations, including elective surgeries,” said Lori Rakes, chief executive officer at Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center.

Additionally, the American Red Cross says the nation is facing the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years, citing a 40% drop in donations during this period. In a press release, the organization said that they have had to limit distributions of type O blood products due to supply being lower than demand.

Type O blood is routinely in short supply and in high demand by hospitals – both because it is the most common blood type and because type O-negative blood is the universal blood type because people of any blood type can receive it.

“Small changes in blood donor turnout can have a huge impact on the availability of blood products and dramatic consequences for those in need of an emergency blood transfusion,” said Dr. Eric Gehrie, executive physician director for the Red Cross, in a press release.

He added that ongoing severe winter weather and seasonal illnesses may worsen the blood shortage. The Red Cross is calling for donors of all types – but especially those with type O blood and those giving platelets – to give now.

Blood Assurance supplies blood to the following Georgia hospitals:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Report for America are partnering to add more journalists to cover topics important to our community. Please help us fund this important work at ajc.com/give