Blood banks brace for donation drop

MADISON, Wis. -- In the nearly nine decades that Janesville General Motors manufactured cars and trucks here, employees — once numbering 7,000 — regularly donated blood. When the plant closed in December, its blood drives went with it.

"Employees would donate hundreds of units of blood," said Marv Wopat, a former plant employee.

Across the USA, similar closures and layoffs have reduced the number of workplace blood drives or canceled them altogether.

"We're concerned about it because blood drives are really the strong backbone of the country's blood supply," said Barb Kain, a spokeswoman for United Blood Services, which covers 18 states.

Corporate blood drives make up about 20% of collections for the American Red Cross, said national spokeswoman Stephanie Millian.

Millian said the economy doesn't appear to be having a significant effect on overall collection levels nationally. She said the Red Cross has seen a reduction in the number of donors this summer, but it's too early to say whether that's linked to the economy or normal seasonal differences.

Regional blood bank officials said they are seeing declines:

• In the Badger-Hawkeye region of the Red Cross, which includes Wisconsin and Iowa, 33 business blood drives have been canceled this summer and another 52 were held but collected less blood than anticipated, spokeswoman Sarah Stevermer said.

• The Southeastern Community Blood Center, serving parts of Florida and Georgia, said collections are down about 10% this year, in part because of fewer company drives, spokeswoman Carol Daws said.

• United Blood Services/Central Coast donor recruitment director Scott Edward said donations in his California territory are down 3% from last year. Among reasons: fewer company drives, he said.

• The Peoria, Ill.-based Heart of America Blood Services Region reported in June that the bad economy has resulted in 13 company blood drives being canceled this summer, according to donor recruitment director Jim Garrott.