Two Wisconsin based blood donation centers are combing their resources.
The Blood Center of Northcentral Wisconsin and the Community Blood Center are now affiliated as the Midwest Blood Centers.
When Aspirus announced it would be taking over Ascension hospitals and clinics in the Northcentral region last year, it also meant a change for the Community Blood Center.
The CBC was a supplier for many of those Ascension hospitals.
“It began a conversation with the Blood Center of North Central Wisconsin and the Community Blood Center about ways we might be able to combine our resources and better serve blood donors and patients,” said Midwest Blood Centers & CBC President and CEO John Hagins said.
Each will still be their own entities but will pool their resources.
For blood donors, they’ll be able to go to either center to donate and still have all their information present.
Hagins says this will also open up more donation opportunities.
For the hospitals and patients the two centers supply blood and platelets for, it provides more services and security that blood needs will be met.
“There will be enhancements I think that will be of value. Additionally, I think we bring, uniquely, a stable blood supply to all the hospitals that we serve and with the combined resources, I feel that we will be able to even serve more hospitals in the future,” said Hagins.
Even with a historic blood shortage in the U.S., Hagins says the two blood centers have been able to keep up with demand.
“There have not been any delays in any transfusion needs based on a shortage. I think that’s pretty unique and pretty awesome for patients and hospitals in Wisconsin to have that kind of blood supplier or that kind of history in blood suppliers,” he said.
With that said, Hagins says their levels are still lower than what they’d like. Right now, they have about a three- and half-day supply.
“We’d like to see it more like a 7 day or one week supply of blood. We’ve pulled down our internal inventories in order to make sure the hospitals have everything that they need in order to meet the needs of patients,” said Hagins. “While hospitals might be at par levels at this point in time, our inventories internally within the blood centers are about half of what we would desire.”
You can set up an appointment to donate either with the Community Blood Center or Blood Center of Northcentral Wisconsin.
