About Us

Services and programs

Blood collection

To meet the daily demand for blood, BloodSource must collect an average of 700 units of blood a day. Half the blood supply comes from donors who visit our community donor centers. Half comes from donors who sign up for mobile blood drives sponsored by their local community, place of worship or employer.

As a volunteer blood donor, you can choose the type of donation you want to give. All types of blood donation are very important. To find out what type of donation is most needed at this time, please call 866.82 BLOOD (866.822.5663).

Whole blood donations allow you to help as many as three patients with different needs with just one donation. Donating whole blood – from sign-in to having a snack before leaving – takes about an hour of your time. The actual blood donation takes about five to seven minutes.

Instead of donating a unit of whole blood, you can donate just one component of the blood: platelets, plasma or red blood cells. This type of donation (called a component donation) takes from one to two hours of your time.

Autologous donations allow you to donate blood for your own use in advance of a surgery where significant blood loss is anticipated. Started in 1974, BloodSource's program was one of the first in the country.

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Marrow and blood stem cell collection

Every year, thousands of adults and children need marrow or blood stem cell transplants - a procedure that may be their only chance for survival. Although some patients have a genetically matched family member who can donate, about 70 percent do not. The patients' lives depend on finding an unrelated individual with a compatible tissue type - often within their own race - who is willing to donate marrow or blood stem cells.

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National Marrow Donor Program

Since 1987, the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), now known as Be the Match, has facilitated more than 33,000 unrelated marrow transplants. Through BloodSource, more than 100,000 volunteers have given blood samples to join NMDP’s registry of potential donors. As of May 2008, 600 local individuals were matched with patients and have donated their marrow or blood stem cells.

Visit the Be the Match web site for more information.

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Specialized testing

As one of the premier blood centers in the world, BloodSource is consistently one of the first to develop or adopt new and highly specialized testing. BloodSource operates sophisticated laboratories, serving a number of complex needs, including:

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing

Many more people are alive today because of advances in complex tissue typing. Human leukocyte antigen typing, or HLA typing, is essential for patients undergoing organ or marrow transplants, and others needing HLA-matched blood components. The BloodSource Histocompatibility Laboratory is one of the most highly acclaimed in the world.

Red blood cell reference typing

The BloodSource Reference Laboratory is one of only about 50 centers accredited in the United States to handle complex blood compatibility testing for patients. The hospital support department finds donors for patients with rare and unusual sensitivities to red blood cells and platelets. The AABB-accredited immunohematology laboratory maintains a file of rare blood donors who are called upon to help patients in our area and across the nation

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Volunteer programs

Volunteers are needed at all of our Northern and Central California locations.

Perhaps you—or someone you love—has received blood and you would like to make a difference in someone else’s life. Perhaps you’re a blood donor who wants to do even more than you already do. Whatever your motivation, we are grateful for your interest. Click here to learn more: BloodSource volunteer High School community service

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Medical consultation

BloodSource provides Northern and Central California with life-saving transfusion medicine expertise. In addition to serving on hospital transfusion committees, BloodSource physicians are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to offer transfusion-related consultation services.

The BloodSource team of physicians offers strong clinical and laboratory expertise in a wide variety of specialties, and has extensive experience in transfusion medicine cases involving all types of patients and manners of presentation. They are active members of AABB, American Society for Apheresis, California Blood Bank Society, and the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society, to name a few.  All of the physicians are available to provide lectures and other educational opportunities to hospital customers on any and all aspects of transfusion medicine/blood banking.

Physicians on staff:

• Board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology with subspecialty board certification in Blood Banking / Transfusion Medicine.
• Extensive experience in obstetrical, perinatal and neonatal transfusion medicine cases.
• Helps establish blood banks and blood testing operations in emerging and underdeveloped countries.

• Board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology with subspecialty board certification in Blood Banking / Transfusion Medicine.
• Experienced in Tissue Banking, including procurement, processing, and distribution.
• Expertise in donor suitability and management.

If you are a medical professional and wish to consult with one of our physicians please call 916.731.7100, or 800.995.4420 Ext. 61693.

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Educational resources

BloodSource physicians are dedicated to providing education both domestically and internationally. Papers written by our physicians and other experts are regularly available in this section.

Downloadable papers

TRALI: an update
This bulletin provides updated information on the clinical factors, diagnosis, risk factors and prevention of Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI).

TRALI:
Sixteen cases of TRALI were investigated to determine the correlation between antigen and antibody.

2011 Transfusion Medicine Symposium Presentations

Do We Really Understand Immune RBC Destruction?:
By George Garratty, Ph.D.

The Relationship of Blood Groups to Disease – Do Blood Groups Have a Biological Role?:
By George Garratty, Ph.D.

The Clinical Use of Blood Products: A Cardiac Surgeon's Perspective:
By Stephen J. Rossiter, M.D.

The Organ Donation Process:
By Sean Davies, Transplant Coordinator

A Laboratory Perspective of Neonatal Transfusion Practice:
By Samuel H. Pepkowitz, M.D.

Educational links

Visit these web sites to search for additional information:
AABB (formerly American Association of Blood Banks)
America's Blood Centers
California Blood Bank Society (CBBS)

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Speakers Bureau

At BloodSource, we welcome the opportunity to speak to your group about the many ways you can join us as we work to save lives throughout Northern and Central California and beyond. Speakers are available on a number of subjects including the importance of a safe and adequate blood supply, the safety of the blood supply, transfusion medicine, community service, volunteer opportunities or the National Marrow Donor Program. For more information call 800.995.4420 or contact us.

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