Hospitals in North Texas and across the country are facing blood shortages, forcing some health care providers to delay elective surgeries and patient care. Carter BloodCare President and CEO Merlyn Sayers told the New York Times (in a story by former Dallas Morning News reporter Jesus Jiménez) the shortages are pandemic-related. Office and school closures along with social distancing limited blood donations for much of the last year. With the pandemic receding and the country reopening, patients who had been putting off treatment are now heading to the doctor, and the need for blood is on the upswing.
To keep things from getting worse—to the point that patients can’t get necessary transfusions—hospitals need more blood. If you’re reading this, you may have some blood to spare.
Find a list of Carter BloodCare donor centers and their hours at this link. They’re taking walk-ins, but you can also make an appointment online or text 800-366-2834.