The only blood provider for over all Cincinnati area hospitals is calling for urgent donations after seeing a dip in the blood supply.
Hoxworth Blood Center, which supplies to 31 hospitals in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana, is calling for urgent donations, said Ashley Smith, public information officer for Hoxworth. While the shortage has not yet impacted patient care, hospitals are bracing for potential supply issues.
The Health Collaborative, on behalf of regional hospitals, said in an emailed statement that hospitals are aware of the O- red blood cell shortage and have protocols in place to preserve that blood for the most emergent patients.
The lab at Hoxworth has been getting more calls from area hospitals for excess
blood in case of emergencies, but has not been able to fill those orders as quickly, Smith said. Dr. Bentley Rodrigue, the transfusion service medical director at UC Medical Center, said this isn't uncommon, but it's best to be prepared.
"There is no way to plan what trauma is coming in − what OB patient is gonna need extra support..." Rodrigue said, "so we always want to be flush."
If the situation gets worse, however, non-emergent surgeries and regular transfusions for patients may be delayed, Smith added.
Depending heavily on local donors − and seeing fewer in recent months without bouncing back − Hoxworth may have to lean more on community partners in Dayton and Illinois if they are short on certain blood types. But if those partners are also experiencing a shortage, they won't be able to answer Hoxworth's call for help.
Given that the American Red Cross declared its second national blood supply crisis in July 2026, Hoxworth staff are trying to be proactive and urge people in the community, especially those with O+ and O- blood types, to donate.
"Think about those patients, and maybe think about your own loved one that did have to receive blood at one time, and what a difference it made," Smith said. "You can be that difference."
If you are interested in donating, visit hoxworth.org and click "Donate Now" to find a drive close to you. If you donate before Nov. 1, you will receive a wearable blanket after your appointment.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Supplier for Cincinnati hospitals has blood shortage, calls for donors
