The Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania plays an essential role in delivering lifesaving blood to patients in the Philadelphia area. Last year alone, we delivered more than 270,000 blood products to 38 local hospitals and cancer treatment centers.

However, like other communities across the country, the Red Cross has experienced extraordinary volatility in the supply and demand of blood products throughout the pandemic and beyond. Among other factors:
 

• Our aging population requires more blood products for more aggressive treatments for some diseases, including cancer. In fact, 25% of the U.S. blood supply is given to patients during cancer treatments. As new cancer cases rise — an estimated 36% by 2040 — so will the demand for blood products.
• Remote work and other factors are changing where and when people give blood. Furthermore, as climate-related events worsen, the Red Cross is seeing more blood drive cancellations. In 2022, over 1,300 blood drives were canceled due to weather — about 23% higher than the average of the prior nine years.
• As our population diversifies, so grows our need for a more diverse blood donor base to deliver the most compatible blood products. For example, people with sickle cell disease often require frequent blood transfusions to alleviate their painful and even life-threatening symptoms, and one in three African American blood donors is a match for people with sickle cell disease.

To fulfill this work — essential to the health and resiliency of the Philadelphia area — the Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Region will spend millions of dollars, which will be invested in:
 

• Construction of new blood donation centers, including costs already spent on new donor centers open in Horsham and West Chester, and currently underway in East Norriton and Langhorne. Costs include the build-out of the reception foyer and welcome lounge, donor health history rooms, blood donation area, canteen for donor recovery, and storage areas for lifesaving blood products until they are delivered to people in need.
• Specialized medical equipment to facilitate the safe collection and storage of blood products. Equipment needs include apheresis and Power Red machines, donor beds, scales, donor health screening equipment and more.
• Blood Services operational expenses to support the collection; testing for safety and type; and processing, storage and delivery of blood products to people in need throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania.