SEATTLE, WA (September 11, 2018) — As Hurricane Florence approaches landfall, Bloodworks Northwest has sent an emergency shipment of 34 blood components to hospitals in North Carolina and Virginia to help these coastal areas prepare for the potentially devastating impact of the hurricane.
Bloodworks Northwest is concerned that a critically low inventory of type O blood and several other blood types and platelets will leave them hard-pressed to provide additional hurricane support if needed, let alone meet needs of the nearly 100 local hospitals that count on Bloodworks for even common procedures like surgeries.
“While our primary mission supports local patients, when catastrophes happen we do whatever we can to help, even when local supplies are as tight as they’ve been in recent weeks,” said James P. AuBuchon, MD, president and CEO of Bloodworks. “It is our amazing donors who make it possible.”
Blood donors are urged to make an appointment now or in the coming days to meet demand. A blood type is considered critically low when it reaches a two-day supply, as opposed to a four-day supply. It takes 800 donor registrations every day to maintain an operational blood supply in the Northwest.
“Once our community returns to stable inventories, we will be prepared to assist with additional emergency blood shipments to help those affected by hurricanes or other disasters,” said AuBuchon. “The blood already collected and on the shelves allows us to respond to emergencies when they happen. We can be prepared if our generous donors step up like they did last year during Hurricane Harvey and Amtrak 501.”
Appointments can be made at centers and blood drives online at schedule.bloodworksnw.org or by calling 1-800-398-7888. More information at BloodworksNW.org
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About Bloodworks Northwest
Bloodworks is backed by 70 years of Northwest history and 250,000 donors. It is local, nonprofit, independent, volunteer-supported and community-based. A recognized leader in transfusion medicine, Bloodworks serves patients in more than 90 hospitals in Washington, Oregon and Alaska — partnering closely with local hospitals to deliver the highest level of patient care. Patients with traumatic injuries, undergoing surgeries or organ transplantation, or receiving treatment for cancer and blood disorders all depend on our services, expertise, laboratories and research. For more information, visit BloodworksNW.org
Bloodworks Northwest Donor Centers
Appointments and information at BloodworksNW.org or 1-800-398-7888
Blood drive schedule at schedule.bloodworksnw.org
•Bellevue Center
1807 132nd Avenue NE
Bellevue, WA 98005
•Bellingham Center
410 W Bakerview Rd., Suite 117
Bellingham, WA 98226
•Central Seattle
921 Terry Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
•Everett Center
2703 Oakes Avenue
Everett, WA 98201
•Federal Way Center
1414 S 324TH Street
Suite B101
Federal Way, WA 98003
•Lynnwood Center
19723 Highway 99, Suite F
Lynnwood, WA 98036
•Olympia Center
1220 Eastside Street SE
Olympia, WA 98501
•North Seattle Center
10357 Stone Avenue N
Seattle, WA 98133
•Silverdale Center
3230 NW Randall Way
Silverdale, WA 98383
•Tukwila Center
130 Andover Park E
Tukwila, WA 98188
•Vancouver, WA Donor Center
9320 NE Vancouver Mall Blvd, Suite 100
Vancouver, WA 98662
•Lane Donor Center
2211 Willamette St
Eugene, OR 97405
