The American Red Cross is reporting a severe blood shortage and is urging people to roll up their sleeves and donate now to help prevent delays in medical care for patients across the country.

The Red Cross says hospital requests for blood are exceeding supply, with the nation’s blood inventory down about 35 percent in just the past month. A tough flu season and the threat of winter storms are making it even harder to collect lifesaving donations, and the Red Cross says there’s no time to wait.

Hospitals are already being forced to triage blood products, putting trauma victims, mothers in childbirth, cancer patients, and people living with sickle cell disease at serious risk.

Joining us this morning to explain what’s happening and how you can help is Dr. Courtney Lawrence, Division Chief Medical Officer at the American Red Cross.