Blood Services Western Lake Erie Region

Welcome to the American Red Cross Blood Services, Western Lake Erie Region (WLER). The Western Lake Erie Region is part of a national system which has 35 regions divided into 11 divisions. WLER is part of the Ohio-Michigan division.

The Western Lake Erie Region serves 11 counties:

* Fostoria - 1-419-435-5360: Located in Fostoria, Ohio
Serving the communities of: Fostoria city limits

* Fulton - 1-419-335-4636:Located in Wauseon, Ohio
Serving the communities of: Archbold, Delta, Fayette, Lyons, Metamora, Swanton, Wauseon

*Hancock- 1-419-422-9322:Located in Findlay, Ohio
Serving the communities of: Arlington, Bluffton, Cygnet, Findlay, McComb,

Henry- 1-419-592-4806: Located in Napoleon, Ohio
Serving the communities of: Liberty Center, Deshler, Hamler, Malinta, New Bavaria, Florida, Ridgeville Corners, McClure, Holgate

Lucas (Greater Toledo Area Chapter-GTAC)- 419-329-2900: Located in Toledo, Ohio Serving the communities of: Berkey, Harbor View, Holland, Maumee, Oregon, Ottawa Hills, Sylvania, Toledo, Waterville, Whitehouse

* Monroe - 1-734-289-1481:Located in Monroe, Michigan
Serving the communities of: Carleton, Dundee, Erie, Ida, Lambertville, La Salle, Luna Pier, Maybee, Milan, Monroe, Petersburg, Whiteford

Ottawa (GTAC)- 1-419-734-1100: Located in Port Clinton, Ohio
Serving the communities of: Clay Center, Elmore, Genoa, Marblehead, Oak Harbor, Port Clinton, Put-in-Bay, Rocky Ridge

Putnam- 1-419-523-4810: Located in Ottawa, Ohio
Serving the communities of: Belmore, Cloverdale, Columbus Grove, Continental, Dupont, Fort Jennings, Gilboa, Glandorf, Kalida, Leipsic, Miller City, Ottawa, Ottoville, Pandora, West Leipsic

* Sandusky River Chapter- 1-419-332-5574: Located in Fremont
Serving the communities of: Bellevue, Burguon, Clyde, Fremont, Gibsonburg, Green Springs, Helena, Lindsey, Woodville; Seneca: Attica Bettsville, Bloomville, New Riegel, Tiffin

Wood (GTAC) - 1-419-352-4575: Located in Bowling Green, Ohio
Serving the communities of: Bairdstown, Bloomdale, Bowling Green, Bradner, Custar, Cygnet, Grand Rapids, Haskins, Hoytville, Jerry City, Luckey, Millbury, Milton Center, North Baltimore, Northwood, Pemberville, Perrysburg, Portage, Rising Sun, Rossford, Tontogany, Walbridge, Wayne, West Millgrove, Weston

Wyandot- 1-419-294-1935: Located in Upper Sandusky, Ohio
Serving the communities of: Carey, Harpster, Kirby, Marseilles, McCutchenville, Nevada, Sycamore, Wharton

The Western Lake Erie Region serves 23 hospitals within these 11 counties:

The American Red Cross, Western Lake Erie Region needs to collect approximately 85,000 pints of blood each year to serve patients in 23 hospitals. The region has two donation centers, 3510 Executive Parkway- Toledo, Ohio and 1100 Croy Drive - Findlay, Ohio. The Red Cross also holds 5-7 community, business or church blood drives Monday through Sunday. The Red Cross contributes approximately 48% of the nations blood supply. The other 52% is collected by community blood banks and other associations.

The American Red Cross and other organizations that collect blood belong to the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB).

“The American blood supply has never been safer,” according to Dr. NurJehan Quraishy, Medical Director. “There are several measures in place to ensure the safety of the blood, starting with an all volunteer blood donor supply. Other steps include an accurate and honest history provided by the blood donor, collecting blood using sterile technique, manufacturing and appropriate storage conditions. In addition several tests are performed on each unit of blood collected,” said Dr. Quraishy.

These tests include:

 

Region’s History and Milestones

Blood Services was born out of patriotic calls and wartime necessity in the 1940s. During World War II, the Red Cross began collecting blood in Toledo using a mobile unit that originated in Cleveland. In January 1957, the Northwest Ohio Region became the 50 th member of the Red Cross blood program. In the same year, open-heart surgeries were scheduled once a month and 6,000 units of blood were collected from donors in Lucas County and surrounding communities. In 1976, the Red Cross became the sole supplier of blood to its regional hospitals. The growth of Blood Services has been nurtured by the cooperation and collaboration of the Academy of Medicine of Toledo and Lucas County, the Toledo Society of Pathologists and area hospitals. Blood Services extended its services to the present 11-county area in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, and, in 1997, the region’s name was changed to Western Lake Erie Region.

As the complexity of donor recruitment, component therapy and blood safety grew, Blood Services had adjusted to cope with the changing demands of new surgical procedures, traumatic injury, renal dialysis, organ transplant and intensive chemotherapy. In 1976, Blood Services evolved from a supplemental supplier to a centralized, total supply and service regional blood center for 18 hospitals in northwest Ohio. The major milestones of its growth since include:

1975 Reference Laboratory is established to provide medical/technical consultation.
*This special services laboratory holds Advanced Reference Laboratory status and is one of only 60 AABB Certified Reference Labs.

1975 Hemapheresis Department is established to provide single donor platelets and granulocytes to support leukemia/cancer patients.

1978 Regional Histocompatibility Laboratory is established to provide HLA typing for bone Marrow transplant, HLA matched platelets and cross match platelets.

1978 Mobile unit assistants elect to be represented by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW Local 911).

1982 CMV sero-negative blood becomes standard medical practice for neonate transfusions.

CMV sero-negative blood/components have since become available to support immune-suppressed patients.

Pre-surgical autologous donations begin. Rapid growth since 1986 accounts for more than 5,000 units of blood collected each year.

1984-89 Region maintains excellent services to hospitals without increasing prices.

1987 Blood Center acquires Gamma Cell 1000 Irradiator to provide irradiated blood products.

The Region becomes a member center of the National Marrow Donor Registry. Seventeen of our donors have since donated bone marrow for transplant.

1991 The Region becomes an independent operating unit from the Greater Toledo Area Chapter. A transitional Board is established.

Platelet transfusion support by platelet cross-match is offered to regional hospitals.

Research department is established in collaboration with the Photochemical Center at BGSU.

Dr. Kathleen Specht, scientific director, is awarded an NHQ New Investigator Award.

1991 The Region joins the Regional Business Information System (RBIS).

Regional staff elects to be represented by UFCW.

1992 The Region becomes a charter member of the American Red Cross.

The Region becomes a member of the North Central Area headquartered in Detroit, MI.

1993 The new Donor Center at Executive Parkway opens for blood collection.

Transfusion Services are established to support outpatient transfusion in the Toledo Clinic and home care agencies.

1994 Laboratory testing is transferred to a National Testing Laboratory in Detroit, MI;

Histocompatibility Laboratory transfers testing to Badger-Hawkeye Region, Madison, WI.

Mini-mobile concept is introduced to better serve business and industry customers.

Second consecutive FDA inspection without citation is achieved.

1995 Finance consolidation begins; Accounting functions move to area office.

Third consecutive FDA inspection without citation is achieved.

American Red Cross Blood Services collaborates with St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center to collect stem cells to support patients with cancer.

1996 Monroe County, Michigan joins the Region.

Manufacturing and Computerization Standardization (MACS) is implemented.

Fourth consecutive FDA inspection without citation is achieved.

1997 The Region adopts a new name – Western Lake Erie Region to reflect the addition of Monroe County, MI to the region.

Western Lake Erie Region joins American Red Cross Biomedical Services to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Fifth consecutive FDA inspection without citation is achieved.

1998 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAT) is implemented under an investigation provision.

1999 Seventh consecutive FDA inspection without citation is achieved.

2000 The Region provides 100% Leukocyte-reduced Red Blood Cells and single-donor platelets to all hospitals.

The Region received national recognition with an Exceptional Quality Performance Award and Exemplary Performance in Collection Goal Attainment Award for 1998-2001.

2003 The Region’s Donor Center ranked as most productive and efficient Donor Center in the American Red Cross System.

2004 Region adds Mobile Automated Collections to its menu of options (Haemonetics)

2008 Region adds new Blood Donor Center in Findlay, Ohio.

Vital Statistics

Serves 23 hospitals and a population of one million in a 12 county area.

Comprised of ten participating Red Cross Chapters in Ohio and the Monroe County Chapter in Michigan.

Operates with budget of 20 million dollars.

Is one of six Blood Services Regions in the Ohio-Michigan Division headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio and one of 35 Blood Services Regions in the Red Cross Biomedical System.

Holds approximately 1,200 blood drives per year, collecting an average of 1,400 units per week.

The Western Lake Erie Region ranks among the top five in blood donations per 100,000 people among Red Cross Blood Services Regions.

Employs over 200 full-time and part-time employees, approximately 145 of which are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). Supported by over 2000 volunteers.

Maintains three business locations: Two Donor Centers, fixed site collection facilities, located at 3510 Executive Parkway in Toledo and 1100 Croy Drive in Findlay and Headquarters Building, located at 2275 Collingwood Blvd, where we are a tenant of the Lucas County Educational Service Center.

Governed by a Regional Volunteer Board of 25 members, chaired by Tom Dixon, Attorney at Eastman and Smith.

Seven of our last eight annual FDA inspections resulted in no 483 citations, with only minor citations given during one inspection.

Provides many unique and exceptional services to support area hospitals and patients including a reference laboratory, therapeutic apheresis, the Rare Donor Registry, stem cell collection and other specialized blood products.

Recognized within the community for its efficient, low cost, reliable blood collection and programs. Hospitals within region have never canceled any surgeries due to lack of blood supply.

Received three Red Cross Presidential Ambassador Prizes for Cultural Diversity Program.