Need for blood donations remains critical

MONTEREY , Calif. — The blood supply has fallen 100 pints below the desired minimum level at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula because of a combination of unusually high demand and the typical summer slowdown in donations.

Multiple high-use cases including aneurisms, heart surgeries, and gastrointestinal bleeding helped deplete the supply, says Sharon Paddock, director of the Blood Center .

The Blood Center considers 262 units, or pints, of blood a minimum working inventory. As of Tuesday morning, the supply was down to 162 units — meaning 100 donors are needed to boost the supply back to just the minimum level.

“Ideally, we like to have about 300 units on hand,” Paddock says.

All blood types are needed but especially types O, A, and B positive, and A negative.

Donations were strong in May, but demand in June and July has taxed the supply. In June, 576 units were transfused at the hospital and, for July, 465 units had been transfused as of Monday.

Eligible donors are urged to call (831) 625-4814 for an appointment or drop in at the center, at 576 Hartnell Street , just across the street from the Monterey Post Office. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Donors must be older than 16 and weigh more than 110 pounds. More information on donating blood may be found on Community Hospital ’s Web site, www.chomp.org.

Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula , founded in 1934 and located at 23625 Holman Highway in Monterey , has grown and evolved in direct response to the changing healthcare needs of the people it serves. It is a nonprofit healthcare provider with 205 staffed acute-care hospital beds and 28 skilled-nursing beds, delivering a continuum of care from birth to end of life, and every stage in between. It serves the Monterey Peninsula and surrounding communities through 15 locations, including the main hospital, outpatient facilities, satellite laboratories, a mental health clinic, a short-term skilled nursing facility, Hospice of the Central Coast , and business offices. Find more information about Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula at www.chomp.org.