Lifeblood, headquartered in Memphis and the region’s only non-profit volunteer blood center, has become part of Blood Systems, one of the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit transfusion medicine organizations.
The agreement was finalized October 1.
Susan Berry-Buckley, Lifeblood CEO, said union will allow Lifeblood to continue delivering service to local hospitals, patients and donors, while also bringing the resources and research capabilities of Blood Systems to improve transfusion safety and patient care. Lifeblood has been the leading provider of blood and blood components to area hospitals, supplying more than 100,000 units for local patient transfusions each year.
Blood Systems is based in the Phoenix area and operates community blood centers serving more than 700 hospitals in 22 states. It also operates biological products distribution services, a quality consulting group, a world-renowned transfusion medicine research institute, and is a partner in the operation of four high-volume donor testing laboratories.
United Blood Services, with centers serving hospitals in 17 states, is the flagship of the Blood Systems Blood Centers Division. Other centers in the division include: Blood Centers of the Pacific and LifeStream (California); Inland Northwest Blood Center (Washington); Bonfils Blood Center (Colorado); LifeShare (Ohio); and Community Blood Services (New Jersey).
According to Berry-Buckley, blood centers across the country during the past several years have been merging, affiliating and looking for new ways to work together in an ever changing healthcare environment.