Nation’s 2nd-ever blood crisis delays hospital surgeries

Becker’s Hospital Review – Wednesday, August 12, 2026
By Ella Jeffries

Ascension Saint Thomas in Nashville, Tenn., has rescheduled some elective surgeries and said it could be forced to cancel or delay additional cases because of shortages of blood products.

Platelets are a particular concern at Saint Thomas, according to an Aug. 6 news release from the hospital, which is part of the St. Louis-based Ascension health system. Chief Clinical Officer Brian Wilcox, MD, told NBC affiliate WNKY that the shortage is affecting hospitals nationwide as donations of blood products have fallen to a four-year summer low even as demand for transfusions holds steady.

The disruption comes as the American Red Cross declared its second national blood crisis in history July 27, with type O blood critically scarce and distributions to hospitals now limited. The shortage began building in May, when a gap widened between the amount of blood hospitals need and the amount being donated. The Red Cross is currently sending hospitals roughly 3,500 more units of blood per week than expected.

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