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Since 1941, South Bend Medical Foundation has provided blood to the hospitals it serves. With donor centers in Mishawaka, South Bend and Marion, Indiana the Foundation collects units of blood from donors.
The donor center located at 530 North Lafayette Boulevard in South Bend collects blood using three different techniques: Whole Blood Donation, Apheresis and Double Red Cell.
Whole Blood Donation is the most common type of blood donation, where donors give a pint of blood which takes approximately 5-10 minutes of actual donation time. Apheresis, or platelet donation, typically takes under an hour for a single donation, but certain donors are able to give up to a triple dose of platelets at one time.
Platelets, found in whole blood, are used more predominately by patients battling cancer, but are used by other patients, as well. Apheresis donors are eligible to donate up to 24 times each year. The third type of donation is Double Red Cell. While donors who donate Whole Blood are eligible to donate every 56 days.
Double Red Cell Donors donate every 112 days because they actually give a double unit of blood. The process takes about 35-45 minutes and donors who are eligible for this type of donation must meet stricter criteria than Whole Blood donors.
Our donor center located at 118 West Edison in Mishawaka is able to accommodate both Whole Blood and Apheresis donors. The donor center has extended hours for donors and is open from 7:30am until 8pm during week.
Recently opened in Marion, Indiana, South Bend Medical Foundation is welcoming donors to our location at 330 North Wabash Avenue on the ground floor of the ACC Building. South Bend Medical Foundation provides the blood used at Marion General Hospital and has formed a partnership with the community so they are able to provide the blood that is used in their community.
Blood Bank Services
Once the units of blood are collected from the donor centers, it is transferred to the fourth floor where the units are prepared to be distributed to the facilities in need. Each unit of blood has a shelf life of 42 days and is kept in a large refrigerated unit until it is needed. Rarely does the blood stay on the shelf as long as 42 days. The unit of blood goes through several stages through its process, including draining white blood cells, spinning out units of plasma and platelets and separating the unit into its three components. The blood bank has to be ready all hours of the day and week to deliver blood wherever it is needed in the case of an emergency.
