Versiti Pleads for Lifesaving Donations as Blood Supply Dips Dangerously Low

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Versiti Blood Center of Indiana has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations, pleading with Hoosiers to make an appointment to donate today! With less than a day's available supply, communities throughout the state face a potential crisis as hospitals may not have the blood needed to treat patients.

"This is the lowest the blood supply has been in a decade, and it is dangerous," said Dr. Dan Waxman, vice president of transfusion medicine and senior medical director at Versiti. "Without blood readily available, patients' lives could be at risk. Trauma patients may not have the blood needed for treatment; cancer patients may not have the blood needed for transfusions. It is dire. We urge those who are able to make an appointment to donate today."

Fast Facts on Blood Donation

• Every two seconds, someone needs lifesaving blood to survive.
• One in seven patients entering a hospital will use blood.
• One in 83 births will need a blood transfusion.
• One donation of blood, which takes less than one hour, can help save up to three lives.
• Donated blood typically will be used by a patient 24 to 48 hours after donation but can be stored safely for 42 days until it is needed.
• Medical technology has provided many lifesaving discoveries over the years, but there is still no substitute for blood. In a medical emergency, often the most important element is the availability of blood.
• Versiti Blood Center of Indiana provides blood and blood products to 90 hospital partners throughout the state.
• To maintain a safe blood supply, Versiti Blood Center Indiana needs 2,500 donors every week.

The continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the recent tragedies in the Midwest and the loss of appointments during the holiday season, magnified the challenge of ensuring hospitals have lifesaving blood readily available for patients.

All blood types are needed, with type O-positive and O-negative most in demand. O-positive is the most common blood type, while O-negative blood is the universal type that can be received safely by all patients in emergencies when the blood type is not known.

To schedule an appointment to donate blood, call 1-317-916-5150 or visit versiti.org.

Donor center locations:

• INDIANAPOLIS: 3450 N. Meridian St.
• FISHERS: 11005 Allisonville Road
• CARMEL: 726 Adams St., Suite 150
• GREENWOOD: 8739 U.S. 31 South
• TERRE HAUTE: 2021 S. Third St.
• LAFAYETTE: 2200 Elmwood Ave., Suite D-16

Donating blood takes about an hour. Anyone age 17 or older in good health who meets eligibility requirements is encouraged to give. Parental consent is required for donors age 16 to donate blood. Donors should bring a photo ID that includes their birth date.

To help ensure donor safety, everyone entering a Versiti facility must wear a mask and have their temperature taken. All Versiti donation locations practice social distancing and closely adhere to FDA and CDC cleaning and disinfecting protocols.

About Versiti Blood Center of Indiana
More than 90,000 Indiana residents each year give blood through Versiti Blood Center of Indiana, formerly Indiana Blood Center, a non-profit organization founded in 1952 that operates blood donation centers in Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel, Greenwood, Lafayette and Terre Haute. The center also operates thousands of mobile and community blood drives each year throughout the state. Versiti provides a continuous and safe supply of blood and biological services to more than 90 Indiana hospitals and their patients and beyond.

SOURCE Versiti Blood Center of Indiana