Livingston's Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center will open its doors for a public blood drive on Wednesday, August 5, as RWJBarnabas Health warns that New Jersey's blood supply has hit one of its lowest points since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The health system issued an urgent appeal on Tuesday, July 15, calling on residents across the state to donate blood and platelets. Summer vacations, school closures, and a drop in community blood drives have cut into donations while hospital demand stays high, according to the announcement.

"Blood donations are essential to saving the lives of patients every day," Ellen Romanowski, senior vice president of laboratory services at RWJBarnabas Health, said in the July 15 statement. "For individuals battling cancer, recovering from traumatic injuries, undergoing complex surgeries, or experiencing complications during childbirth, donated blood and platelets can be the difference between life and death."

Blood supply by the numbers

RWJBarnabas Health transfused nearly 98,000 blood products across its 12-hospital system in 2025, according to the health system. While all blood types are needed, the system said an immediate increase in Type O donations is especially critical.

New Jersey is a net importer of blood products, according to RWJBarnabas Health, meaning the state relies on donations collected outside its borders to keep hospitals supplied. The hospital's oncology services expanded in June with the opening of the Melchiorre Cancer Center on the Cooperman Barnabas campus, adding demand for transfusion-dependent cancer care.

How to donate

The Cooperman Barnabas blood drive takes place Wednesday, August 5, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Islami Conference Center at 94 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston.

Appointments can be scheduled at giveblood.rwjbh.org or by phone at 732-235-8100 or 908-685-2926.

Upcoming blood drives in the region

  • Saturday, August 1 — Secaucus Recreation Center, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday, August 5 — Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday–Thursday, September 10–11 — Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Somerville, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Tuesday–Wednesday, September 29–30 — Seton Hall University, South Orange, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.