Blood Bank Service Expands to Berrien County

Grand Rapids, MI: Administrators at Michigan Community Blood Centers have announced that the blood bank will provide 100 percent of the regular blood supply for Lakeland Regional Health System beginning July 1 this year.

Headquartered in St. Joseph, Lakeland Regional Health System operates a 289-bed medical center in St. Joseph, as well as facilities in St. Joseph, Niles, and Berrien Center offering primary and specialty care, extended and rehabilitative care, and outpatient surgery. Last year, Lakeland Regional Health System used approximately 6,000 units of blood.

To support this expanded service, Michigan Community Blood Centers plans to establish a permanent blood donation site in southwest Michigan, and to conduct mobile blood drives throughout Berrien County.

 Administrators from Michigan Community Blood Centers and Lakeland Regional Health System signed a blood-supply contract on April 22. From Michigan Community Blood Centers (far left, second from left, and third from left, respectively): LeeAnn Weitekamp, MD, Vice President-Medical Affairs; Linda Barar, Vice President-Corporate Relations; Norman L. Felker, President and CEO. From Lakeland Regional health System (second from right and far right, respectively): Joseph Wasserman, President and CEO, and Laurie Fleming, Vice President, Diagnostic & Ambulatory Services. Photo courtesy of Lakeland Regional Health System.

Headquartered in Grand Rapids at 1036 Fuller NE, Michigan Community Blood Centers is an independent, nonprofit, community blood bank that provides 100 percent of the regular blood supply for hospitals in Kent and Barry counties, as well as hospitals in multi-county regions of northwest and east-central Michigan. The combined population of all service areas exceeds 1.5 million. Last year, Michigan Community Blood Centers collected more than 95,000 units of blood. A member of America’s Blood Centers, the largest provider of blood and blood-related services for the US and Canada, Michigan Community Blood Centers also responds to blood needs elsewhere in the nation, as well as military and disaster-related calls for blood.

Note: All Michigan Community Blood Centers news releases are posted on www.miblood.org.

© Michigan Community Blood Centers