Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati is releasing an emergency appeal for Type O donors. Individuals with the blood Type O Positive or O Negative are being asked to donate immediately.
“All individuals, regardless of blood type, are urged to donate. However, Type O blood is an urgent need at the present time” reports Alecia Lipton, Hoxworth spokesperson. “National blood supplies are limited and we cannot rely on acquiring blood from other communities at this time. Presently there are only 60 units of Type O blood on the shelf, when our optimum level is over 200 units.”
“We are seeing record high usage at several of the 30 hospitals that we serve,” said Dr. Ronald Sacher, director of Hoxworth Blood Center. “Unfortunately we are also seeing an all-time low in donor turn out. We are in a state of emergency for Type O blood and need the community to support our efforts in securing a healthy blood supply.”
Hoxworth operates eight Neighborhood Donor Centers in Anderson, Blue Ash, Downtown, Ft. Mitchell, Mason, Tri-County, Western Hills and the Hoxworth Center adjacent to University Hospital. Walk-ins are welcome, however appointments are encouraged. Call (513) 451-0910 or visit hoxworth.org.
Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati was founded in 1938 and serves 30 hospitals in 17 counties in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana. Annually, Hoxworth collects more than 90,000 units of blood from local donors to help save the lives of patients in area hospitals.