Vitalant closing June 15 due to lack of donors
The Washington donation center of Vitalant, a nonprofit community blood service provider, will be closing its doors June 15 because of a shortage of donors.
Kristen Lane, the market lead for Vitalant, said Western Pennsylvania is facing a health crisis.
“There aren’t enough donors in the Washington area,” Lane said. “We can’t justify keeping the center open because it has declined by half of the donors over the past few years. Western Pennsylvania is suffering because of the lack of blood. It’s making hospitals in the area have to get blood from the surrounding area.”
After the Washington location of Vitalant closes, Lane said donors can go to Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center to donate. Also, Lane said a contract is in the works for donors to go to Washington Hospital.
“The Washington area can’t be proud of this,” Lane said. “Since we don’t have enough blood supply in the area, we have to travel outside of the state to get blood. This is really difficult for the hospitals around this area. Hospitals need blood for cancer patients, premature babies and anyone who was involved in a traumatic accident.”
Founded in 1943, Vitalant, formerly known in this area as Central Blood Bank, has become one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit transfusion medicine organizations.
Lane said the No. 1 reason why people don’t donate blood isn’t because they’re restricted, but because they haven’t been invited to donate.
“We want to do our best to make people aware about how much blood is really needed in our communities,” Lane said. “We need our community to realize that this is a health crisis. We need more donors to help us.”
Jon Naser of Washington has been a frequent donor at the Vitalant center in the Crossroads Center at 95 W. Beau St. Naser said he started donating because both of his parents were donors.
“I’ve always had a positive experience with the staff,” Naser said. “My mom was giving blood for 30 years, while my dad had given for 25 years.”