VA looks for help to host blood drive

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Red Cross is facing a severe blood shortage. The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center is looking for a way to help.

Ashley Leopold, chief of environment of care/safety with the medical center, said VA locations are being asked to help with the crisis by hosting a blood drive.

“We want to reach out to the community to see if that’s something they want to take on as a community,” Leopold said.

The Red Cross released information last week about this “severe blood shortage” and linked it to “an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations” due to the outbreak.

As of March 17, nearly 2,700 drives had been canceled across the country and resulted in about 86,000 fewer blood donations.

In the Missouri-Arkansas region, 56 drives had been canceled resulting in 1,883 fewer blood donations. This shortage could impact patients who need surgery, victims of car accidents and other emergencies, or cancer patients.

Locally, Leopold said the VA medical center doesn’t really have the space to host a blood drive and keep social distancing in mind.

Leopold told a meeting of the Butler County Emergency Operations team she would like to work as a group and a community to take on a blood drive with safety in mind.

This means finding a location large enough to accommodate such an event with adequate space between people, and a system to schedule donors.

“We know this is an urgent need at this time,” Butler County Emergency Management Director Robbie Myers said. “We need to make that happen.”

“They’re in desperate need,” Leopold agreed.

Myers said they’ve been in contact with the Black River Coliseum about holding a blood drive there, but dates have not been set yet. It will likely be in a week or two and last several days.

Anybody interested in offering help for the drive can contact Maddy Winters, assistant to Myers, at 573-714-4197.