The American Red Cross on July 28 declared a second national blood supply crisis, saying this summer’s donations have fallen to a four-year low and are not keeping pace with hospital demand. The nonprofit, which provides roughly 40% of the nation’s blood, warned that inventories—particularly for type O blood—are under severe strain.
Chris Hrouda, president of Red Cross Biomedical Services, said the organization has worked to strengthen supplies but that current donations are insufficient. “Every donation has the potential to help save lives, and we urgently need everyone who is eligible to make an appointment to give blood as soon as possible,” Hrouda said in a statement included with the Red Cross announcement.
The Red Cross said it currently has “less than a one-day national supply of type O positive blood.” Because of that shortage, the organization is limiting distributions of that blood type to individual hospitals. The statement did not supply further numeric breakdowns of other blood types or regional inventories.
The nonprofit said it is seeking donors of all blood types and placed added emphasis on type O blood, which is commonly used in emergency transfusions and when a patient’s blood type is unknown.
According to the Red Cross, several factors have contributed to the drop in donor turnout this summer: extreme heat, poor air quality and foodborne illnesses. The organization said these conditions have kept potential donors away and reduced the number of eligible donations.
The Red Cross also noted it had implemented additional safeguards since the first national crisis, but that measures have not prevented the current shortfall. The first-ever national blood crisis was declared by the nonprofit in January 2022, when donations fell sharply in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Red Cross urged all eligible people to schedule appointments to donate. Appointment options include the Blood Donor App, the Red Cross website or by calling 1-800-733-2767.
To encourage donations, the Red Cross is offering time-limited incentives: those who donate by July 31 will receive a Fandango movie ticket valued at up to $15 via email. Donors who give between August 1 and August 31 will receive a $20 Amazon gift card via email. The announcement did not provide details on eligibility for the incentives beyond standard donor requirements.
On July 28, the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies’ Interorganizational Task Force on Domestic Disasters and Acts of Terrorism (the AABB Disaster Task Force) issued an advisory urging increased blood donations. The task force, which counts the American Hospital Association among its members, advised hospitals and health systems to encourage eligible individuals to make and keep donation appointments.
In its advisory, the task force said, “Regular blood donations are a critical resource for hospitals and health systems to provide lifesaving care for their communities. When blood donations decline, the consequences are felt by patients who depend on lifesaving transfusions.” The task force did not provide additional operational guidance or specific regional data in the advisory reported by the Red Cross release.
Fierce Healthcare reached out to the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association and the American Nurses Association for comment; the source reported that outreach but did not include any responses from those organizations.
Type O blood—particularly type O positive and type O negative—is frequently used in emergency situations and for patients whose blood type is unknown. The Red Cross’ disclosure that national supplies of type O positive are under one day in total prompted immediate concern because hospitals rely on ready access to these units to avoid treatment delays.
The Red Cross said it has limited distributions of type O positive units to individual hospitals. The source did not elaborate on criteria for those limits or how hospitals are prioritizing the reduced supplies.
The Red Cross previously declared a national blood crisis in January 2022, when donations had decreased substantially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this new announcement, the organization said it had put additional safeguards in place after the earlier crisis but that this summer’s conditions still left supplies strained. The specific safeguards or operational changes enacted after 2022 were not detailed in the source material.
The Red Cross and the AABB Disaster Task Force emphasized that declines in donations have direct effects on patients who need transfusions. The Red Cross warned that current levels of donations could cause treatment delays if inventories are not replenished.
Hospitals typically depend on a steady flow of donations to maintain on-site and regional inventories. The source did not provide examples of hospitals reporting canceled procedures or specific patient impacts tied to the current shortage, nor did it report geographic areas that are most affected.
The Red Cross’ immediate call is for rapid donor engagement across the country, with an emphasis on scheduling appointments and donating as soon as possible. The organization pointed donors to its digital tools and phone line for appointments and promoted short-term donor incentives in July and August.
Beyond the public appeals, the source did not report on additional operational responses, partnerships, or contingency plans the Red Cross may deploy to stabilize supplies, nor did it provide a timeline for when inventories might return to normal levels.
Prospective donors were directed to use the Blood Donor App, visit the Red Cross website or call 1-800-733-2767 to make appointments. The article did not restate specific donor eligibility criteria, medical deferral rules, or other health-screening details; those are typically available from the Red Cross directly.
The American Red Cross’ July 28 declaration signals an urgent shortfall in the nation’s blood supply, with a pronounced scarcity of type O positive units and limits now placed on distribution to hospitals. The Red Cross and the AABB Disaster Task Force are urging eligible people to make appointments and donate immediately to avoid potential treatment delays. Specific regional data, operational mitigation steps and responses from major medical associations were not reported in the source.
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