Type O blood shortage
Critical need for blood donations to ease nation-wide shortage
December 13, 2021
The nation continues to face a blood shortage and the UCI Blood Donor Center is in dire need of blood donations. All blood types are needed, but there is a critical need for Type O.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Red Cross has dealt with low blood supplies, but now it’s experiencing the worst blood shortage in over a decade. This shortage also affects UCI Health.
As Orange County’s only Level 1 trauma center, UCI Health provides critical care services not available in any other health system. UCI Health relies on vendors, such as the American Red Cross, throughout the region as well as its own blood donation program for its blood supply.
To meet the needs of the community, UCI Health is working with various partners to increase blood donations to help maintain an adequate level of blood throughout the holidays. The need for blood typically increases over the holidays while donations simultaneously decrease. This seasonal impact will be especially severe this year given ongoing supply chain weaknesses.
UCI Health urges all healthy people to donate blood or platelets.
Upcoming blood drives
Below are opportunities to donate blood for UCI Health during the month of December:
Thursday, Dec. 16, from 9 a.m.—4 p.m. In partnership with the Anaheim Ducks, the UCI bloodmobile will be in the Honda Center parking lot at 2695 East Katella Avenue in Anaheim. All donors will receive their choice of either a $5 Target or In-N-Out Burger gift card along with an Anaheim Ducks hat courtesy of UCI Health. Appointments are required.
Friday, Dec. 17, and Monday through Wednesday, Dec. 20-22, from 7 a.m.—5 p.m. The UCI Health Blood Donor Center — Orange will hold a four-day blood drive located at UCI Medical Center, 101 The City Drive South in Orange. All donors will receive their choice of either a $15 Target or In-N-Out Burger gift card. Appointments are required.
In addition to blood drives, UCI Health offers two locations for blood and platelet donations:
UCI Health is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, and the only academic health system in Orange County. Patients can access UCI Health at primary and specialty care offices across Orange County and at its main campus, UCI Medical Center in Orange, Calif. The 459-bed acute care hospital, listed among America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 21 consecutive years, provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation services. UCI Medical Center is home to Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center and regional burn center. UCI Health serves a region of nearly 4 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
