On September 21, 2021, Bloodworks Northwest tweeted that in the course of one week it had lost 40 percent of its inventory due to last-minute appointment cancellations. Blood supply was at one of its lowest levels in recent history. The nonprofit organization, which provides blood to 95 percent of hospitals in the Pacific Northwest, first noticed the downward trend this past summer.

Donations have risen somewhat, but many more are needed to make up for the shortfall. "Right now we're 92-ish percent of where we need to be collecting, and for August and September is when things have become very critical, where our blood inventory levels have been critical every single day for several months," relayed Vicki Finson, the executive vice president of Bloodworks Northwest.

The summertime supply drop-off was not surprising, particularly with what's been happening with the coronavirus pandemic. With lockdowns over and venues reopening, people spent their summer wanting to get out, whether outdoors or out of town. "I think it's harder because there was so much pent-up desire to travel, to get away, to be outdoors doing things that we really saw donations fall off," said Finson.

During the past two months, Bloodworks Northwest has seen a drastic increase in individuals not showing up for their scheduled appointments, in addition to same-day appointment cancellations (which take away from other donors who could have filled those slots). When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, Bloodworks Northwest shifted from accepting walk-ins to scheduled appointments only, in order to ensure adequate social distancing and safety measures.

"What we found is that it is a better experience for our donors because they can predict how long they'll be there and it keeps everyone safe," said Finson who mentioned that the organization has no plans to alter their appointment only policy, with the downside being individuals needing to actually show up for appointments.

Hospitals are currently being overrun by COVID-19 patients (who usually don't have much need for transfusions), which has forced medical professionals to put off non-emergent surgeries for the time being–similar to what happened during last winter's surge. After last year's winter surge, blood demand was at an all-time high–5 to 10 percent over normal–from January to May due to the backlog of patients who had had to put their surgeries on hold.

"What I anticipate will happen is a few months from now, when this surge is over, and let's hope it's over, we're going to see the same thing we saw last year," said Finson. She went on to explain that "in a few months from now when less COVID-19 patients are taking hospital beds, we're going to see a stark increase in the need for blood donors."

With the current blood supply shortage, blood donation organizations can assist each other when possible, said Finson, but, she added, "We need to make it about ourselves because we can't depend on it to come from someplace else."

For someone who wants to donate but may be hesitant, Finson says, "Think about it. It's going to be a great feeling for you. It's going to give you such joy to know that you literally saved someone's life and without you that person could've died."

"Bloodworks staff are awesome, so you will have a great experience. They will explain everything, they will treat you well. Yes, there is a needle involved, but it doesn't last for long, and they're really good about it," said Finson. "Besides treating you well, we'll feed you well too. There's some nice chocolate chip cookies at the end."

At the beginning of September, Bloodworks Northwest launched a new campaign called "Music's In Our Blood," scheduled to run until December 2021. Partnering with such organizations as KEXP, Sub Pop Records and Starbucks, Bloodworks hopes to use music's ability to foster connection in order to spread awareness about the need for blood donations. Because the blood supply has hit one of its lowest levels in recent history, the campaign's goal is to reach 10,000 new donors by the end of the year.

"By harnessing the power of music, we harness the power of community. Donating blood is one of the easiest acts we can do to save a life in our community," stated Megan Jasper, CEO of Sub Pop Records.

The "Music's In Our Blood" campaign shares the voices of musicians, artists and DJs who have impactful stories about how blood donations have affected their lives. Cheryl Walters, who works at KEXP as the midday show host and live performances manager, opened up about her breast cancer battle and her need for a transfusion. After she finished cancer treatment, she began donating blood regularly to make sure that anyone who may need it would not have to worry about whether enough would be available.

One way that Bloodworks Northwest is promoting this campaign is with its Fly Away Music Weekends. The organization is giving away four music weekend passes to four randomly chosen individuals who donate blood between September 1 and October 31, 2021. Donors will be automatically entered to win a 3-day weekend pass to watch headliner artists perform at an iconic location in either Los Angeles, Nashville, New York or Miami. The prize includes airfare, a hotel and an event ticket for 2.

Quick facts about donating blood