R.I. faces blood shortage emergency, reduced donations cutting into hospital supplies

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island remains in a blood emergency this month, with about 200 fewer donation pints collected each week, according to the Rhode Island Blood Center, a nonprofit that collects blood donations and supplies local hospitals.

The factors include fewer people donating, and people making appointments and then not showing up. The supply is diminished even as the state reopens and people travel more, which leads to car wrecks and other trauma incidents. Trauma visits at emergency rooms have increased this year.

Tuesday was the first day in several weeks that Ocean State hospitals received their full requested orders for blood, according to Nicole Pineault, director of donor resources for the blood center.

Last week, before donations picked up, hospitals were getting about a 30% reduction in requested blood packets, she said.

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It was not immediately clear if Rhode Island hospitals had to reschedule elective surgeries or procedures, as a result. In Boston, that step was taken by a number of hospitals last week, according to the Boston Globe, as that state has also experienced a slowdown in supply. The Globe reported that UMass Memorial Health, which operates hospitals in Worcester and central Massachusetts, had to postpone several surgeries.

Pineault, who also directs the marrow donor program, said she’s never seen a shortage of blood like this in her 18 years at the center.

“Yesterday was the first day in several weeks that we didn’t cut orders from the primary hospitals that we serve,” she said.

Additional media coverage in recent weeks has prompted more donors to step forward, particularly last week, and that has started to make an impact, she said.

“Last week we did see an improvement and we had pretty good appointments this week,” Pineault said. “But the Fourth of July is right around the corner. And summer is historically a difficult time for blood collection, in general.”

One of the factors that is suppressing Rhode Island collections is the lowered donations at colleges, universities and high schools. Traditionally, the blood center sends its mobile unit to the locations and students are encouraged to donate blood.

At 17, people in Rhode Island can donate blood without a parent’s permission. People who donate blood have to meet various criteria, including being in good health and not taking certain medications.

Because of the pandemic, the school site-based donation events were greatly reduced this year. And while they resumed in the spring, the blood center found that fewer people were participating. In some cases, this may have been because there are fewer people on the campuses and in the high schools, due to efforts to reduce student populations in buildings during the pandemic.

The 17-24-year-old age group accounts traditionally for 30% of Rhode Island’s blood donations.

“That group, disproportionately, has transportation challenges,” Pineault said. “Convenience really is a big factor in whether or not people will give.”

The blood center is encouraging people who can donate to give blood.

“It’s [needed] now more than ever,” Pineault said.

Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at MacDonald@PBN.com.