New Blood Donation Center Opens in Berrien County

ST. JOSEPH, MI: A ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 12, marked the official opening of the new Michigan Community Blood Centers Community Donor Center at the Lakeland Center for Outpatient Services, 3900 Hollywood Road, St. Joseph. Speakers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony included Robin Mack, executive director of the Center for Outpatient Services; Joe Wasserman, president of Lakeland Regional Health System; Dr. Loren Hamel, a family practice physician; Kathy Crouch, Lakeland laboratory director; Norm Felker, Michigan Community Blood Centers president; Dr. LeeAnn Weitekamp, Michigan Community Blood Centers medical director; Linda Barar, Michigan Community Blood Centers vice president of corporate relations; and Wendy Dant Chesser, Cornerstone Alliance executive vice president. Also introduced at the opening ceremony were the new Community Donor Center’s first two donors, Lakeland associate Julie Gaul and Doug Klynstra, who supervises recruitment, inventory management, volunteer services, special events, and communications departments for Michigan Community Blood Centers in Grand Rapids.

The new donation facility will welcome Berrien County donors from Noon to 7 p.m. every Tuesday. Blood drive recruiters for Berrien County also will be based there.

As of July 1, Michigan Community Blood Centers became the sole blood provider for Lakeland Regional Health System, which 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.

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 multi-county regions of west, northwest, and east-central Michigan, as well as Berrien County. 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.

© Michigan Community Blood Centers