A sharp decrease in blood donations in Western Pennsylvania over the past decade has left local organizations scrambling to fight what they believe could become a community health crisis.

Charlie Wilcox, the northeast division president of Vitalant, a nonprofit blood transfusion organization, has watched this downward trend firsthand.

“Blood donations are shrinking everywhere,” Wilcox said. “Everybody is feeling the pinch.”

But Wilcox believes the region is being hit the hardest. While Vitalant has seen a decrease in donations over the past 10 years, it's become a pressing issue recently because the organization is struggling to meet local needs for blood products.

“Healthcare systems are seeing it firsthand,” Wilcox said. “When we shortchange them blood, they feel it.”

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