AV Hospital closes Blood Donor Center after 36 years
LANCASTER — Antelope Valley Hospital closed its Blood Donor Center after 36 years and more than 66,000 units of blood.
No employees were laid off. Donor center staff continued working within the hospital’s laboratory, Cynthia Frausto, director of Marketing and
Public Relations, said.
Antelope Valley Hospital officials attributed the closure to a nationwide decline in donor participation, staffing availability, the increasing change in blood donor testing requirements and the need to upgrade the donor center computer system to meet Federal Drug Administration specifications.
“It is with great sadness I am announcing, that after 36 years, our Blood Donor Center will be closing,” Antelope Valley Hospital CEO Edward Mirzabegian said in a statement. “I want to thank the dedicated RNs and laboratory staff of the (blood donor) center that provided excellent service to our
patients and our community for more than three decades. The continuous dedication of both our staff and volunteers is what made our center one of the best. Our relationship with the American Red Cross will remain the same and provide the majority of our needed blood products.”
The hospital previously supplemented its own blood supply with blood from the American Red Cross.
“The hospital does have a strong relationship with the American Red Cross, so they’re going to remain providing the hospital with the blood products that they need,” Frausto said.
The American Red Cross Antelope Valley Chapter conducts mobile blood drives throughout the month.
“I think it’s more convenient for donors to go when they’re out doing their shopping or when they’re at work just to step out and donate blood,” Frausto said.
For time, date and location of upcoming drives, visit https://www. redcrossblood.org/local-homepage/location/ american-red-cross-antelope-valley-chapter.html