L.A. Care Hosts Blood Drive as Red Cross Warns of a Dangerous Drop in the Blood Supply

With elective surgeries resuming, the American Red Cross is sounding the alarm – there is an urgent need for blood donations. The American Red Cross usually stores enough blood supply to meet the nation’s needs for five days, but early this month, it had only enough for two days. L.A. Care Health Plan is once again stepping up to help.

L.A. Care will be hosting its second American Red Cross Blood Drive during the pandemic on Tuesday, June 16. Months of COVID-19 social distancing and stay-at-home orders forced cancellation of thousands of blood drives, and left others with few donors. With the resumption of elective surgeries, it is critical to increase the blood supply.

Resumption of elective surgery is not the only concern. Blood transfusions can be needed for childbirth and serious injuries, like those suffered during the recent unrest across the country.

The Red Cross staff will follow strict safety protocols, including holding the drive in a large conference room, to allow for the proper social distancing.

Other Red Cross safety protocols include:

• Wearing gloves and changing them often
• Wiping down donor-touched areas after every collection
• Using sterile collection sets for every donation
• Preparing the arm for donation with aseptic scrub

The Red Cross has increased vigilance concerning some of these safety protocols including: 

• Enhanced disinfecting of equipment  
• Providing hand sanitizer for use before entering and throughout the donation appointment 
• Temperature checks before donors enter the blood drive
   

The blood drive, which is open to the downtown community, is:
Tuesday, June 16
L.A. Care Health Plan
1055 West 7^th Street, Los Angeles
9:30 am to 3:30 pm