July 23, 2008: All across the state, Michigan Community Blood Centers is turning up the heat on donor recruitment efforts for people with type O blood, because inventory levels of both type O-negative and type O-positive are extremely low. While summer is always a high-need season, shortages of type O blood are an extreme nationwide problem this summer.

“Everybody [blood banks and hospitals] needs it and nobody has it, especially type O-negative,” explains Doug Klynstra, who heads recruitment and inventory operations in West Michigan. “Type O-negative is known as the ‘universal’ blood type because anyone with any blood type can receive it. O-positive is always needed because more people [about 38%] have that blood type than any other.”

Summer usually is a “slump season” for blood donation because many people (including blood donors) are on vacation, and because groups that sponsor blood drives during the other three seasons, like schools, may be on summer break and aren’t holding blood drives.

Normally, community blood banks that temporarily have trouble getting enough of a particular blood type can ask other blood centers across the nation for help, through the National Blood Exchange. But right now, “nobody has any type O blood to spare,” Klynstra says.

“More than 1.5 million people live in the regions where Michigan Community Blood Centers is the sole source of blood for area hospitals,” Klynstra says. “All these people depend on us to make sure the blood they need will be available. We do our best, but we can’t do it without the help of volunteer blood donors.”

So if you have an appointment to give blood, please keep it – if you want to make an appointment, call one of Michigan Community Blood Centers many convenient donation centers (walk-ins are also welcome) – if you prefer to give at a blood drive, it’s easy to find a blood drive in your area – and if your phone rings and it’s a telerecruiter asking you to give blood, please say yes. It’s About Life.

© Michigan Community Blood Centers