CrowdStrike outage leads to blood supply shortage in PNW

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – Amid a decrease in blood donations over the summer, blood banks in the Pacific Northwest are now seeing a “steep drop” in blood supply after the worldwide CrowdStrike outage, the Washington Department of Health announced Thursday.

The July 19 outage from CrowdStrike — a cybersecurity company — disrupted airlines, hospitals, as well as businesses, and led to a state of emergency declaration by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler .

The Oregon Department of Health said those disruptions also hit blood collections in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, shutting down computer systems, which led to delayed blood supply shipments, and impacted blood donation scheduling.

This included Bloodworks Northwest , which had to cancel nearly 250 donation appointments because of the outage, which accounted for one-quarter of donations for that day.

Officials said Type O-positive donors, who make up about 38% of the population, and O-negative donors – the universal donor type – are encouraged to donate, noting Type O supplies are running “dangerously low.”

The Washington DOH said blood banks already see a decrease in donations during the summer when schools are on break and people go on vacation, so people who regularly donate are likely to have less time to donate.

“Running out of gas on your summer road trip is inconvenient, but ensuring our hospitals have enough blood is crucial,’ said Michael Martinez of Vitalant’s Spokane region Regional Blood Services. “You can make a significant impact by donating blood at a center or drive. In just one hour, you can help ensure trauma centers have the blood they need to care for patients this summer.”

Officials said the Northwest Blood Coalition – which is made up of the American Red Cross, Vitalant Blood Services, and Bloodworks Northwest – are working together to address the shortages.

“Your community needs you,” said Dr. Kirsten Alcorn, co-chief medical officer at Bloodworks Northwest. “As a blood donor, you’ve already made a huge, lifesaving impact. This summer, we’re asking you to give again during the final stretch of summer. Trauma cases spike significantly this time of year, and we need to ensure people have access to the blood they need.”

Donation appointments can be scheduled through the Northwest Blood Coalition member websites.

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