In our monthly spotlight, we’re highlighting the remarkable innovations and community impacts of America’s Blood Centers’ members across North America. These developments show the crucial importance of community blood centers and their role as hubs of innovation, research, and community engagement in today’s healthcare landscape:
Rhode Island Blood Center: Expanding Access to Pre-Hospital Blood Transfusions: Rhode Island Blood Center, in partnership with Cumberland Emergency Medical Services (EMS), has launched a groundbreaking program to carry blood on ambulances in Rhode Island for the first time.
Dr. Nicholas Valentini, Cumberland EMS Medical Director, emphasizes the critical nature of this program: “Trauma is the leading cause of death nationwide, and one of the biggest reasons is uncontrolled bleeding. Research shows that for every single minute that a transfusion is delayed, mortality increases by about 2 percent.”
The number of community blood centers providing blood products for prehospital use has nearly doubled between 2022 and 2024, underscoring the rapid growth and increasing importance of these life-saving programs. To read more, download our report, “A Vital Resource: Community Blood Centers & The Growth of Prehospital Blood Programs.”
San Diego Blood Bank: Celebrating 75 Years of Lifesaving Service: San Diego Blood Bank marks its 75th anniversary this year, celebrating a legacy of community service and medical innovation. Since its inception in 1950, the blood bank has collected over 5.5 million pints of blood and impacted up to 150,000 patient lives annually.
As CEO Douglas Morton states, “Every pint donated is a story of compassion.” The blood bank has led cutting-edge research initiatives in cell therapy and regenerative medicine, Precision Blood medical research, and cord blood banking.
Vitalant: Advancing Cell and Gene Therapy: Vitalant’s expanded partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) highlights the critical role blood centers play in advancing medical science. This collaboration focuses on supporting cell and gene therapy initiatives, providing medical leadership for UPMC’s Hematopoietic Stem Cell lab, and strengthening clinical operations.
Dr. Kevin Land, Vitalant’s Executive Medical Director for Biotherapies, will serve as the interim medical director for UPMC’s lab, guiding its evolution and aligning capabilities with emerging therapies. This partnership underscores the importance of blood centers in driving medical innovations in addition to traditional blood banking.
LifeServe Blood Center: Expanding Donor Access in South Dakota: LifeServe Blood Center recently celebrated the opening of their new donor center in Pierre, South Dakota. This expansion brings their total number of donor centers in South Dakota to four, with locations in Aberdeen, Mitchell, Pierre, and Yankton. Across its four-state service area, LifeServe now proudly operates 15 donor centers.
This expansion demonstrates LifeServe’s commitment to increasing blood donation accessibility and meeting the growing needs of communities across their service area.
These innovations demonstrate that America’s Blood Centers members are not just blood collectors, but innovators whose work enhances patient care and shapes the future of healthcare.