Announcement From Grand Junction Colorado's Blood Donation Center

Changes are coming to Grand Junction, Colorado's St. Mary's Regional Blood Center. From your perspective, though, these changes should go unnoticed.

If you've donated blood before, you already know how important it is for the blood center to maintain a steady supply. Don't let the idea of change dissuade you from donating.

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Email From Grand Junction, Colorado's Blood Donation Center

Checking my personal email this morning I noticed a message from Kevin Dryanski, Director of Oncology Service Line & Laboratory & Blood Donor Center at St. Mary's. The email contained a fact I was unaware of. According to Dryanski, St. Mary's is the only SCL Health hospital and the only hospital in western Colorado that operates a facility like the St. Mary's Regional Blood Center.

Changes on the Horizon at St. Mary's Regional Blood Center

After 70 years of service to Western Colorado, a change is coming. According to the email:

...due to increasing regulations and additional operational requirements, we have decided to find a new operator for the Blood Donor Center. As a result, SMMC has signed a letter of intent to transition its blood collection operations to Vitalant in the summer of 2022. This move will ensure our community’s growth in blood supply needs are met in the future and that your life-saving donations will continue to have a positive impact in our region for many years to come. - Kevin Dryanski, Director of Oncology Service Line & Laboratory & Blood Donor Center

Who Is Vitalant and Have You Seen Them Lately?

According to their official webpage, "Vitalant exists to help people realize their life-transforming potential by offering convenient blood donation opportunities and sharing our expertise in transfusion medicine."

Vitalant was founded in 1943. Currently, it is the United State's largest independent, non-profit blood services provider "exclusively focused on providing lifesaving blood and comprehensive transfusion medicine service." The webpage adds Vitalant consists of about 120 donation centers across the United States.

Kevin Dryansk's email states Vitalant "... has a long partnership history with SCL Health in Colorado. He adds, "It is the ideal community partner to serve the blood collection and management needs of Grand Junction and the surrounding communities."

If You're Already a Blood Donor in Grand Junction

The email states that those who have donated at the St. Mary's Regional Blood Center in the past probably won't notice any changes. If you've donated there before, you already know St. Mary's blood center functions like a well-oiled machine. You are asked to "...please continue to give at our upcoming blood drives or the St. Mary’s Blood Donor Center."

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Filed Under: Grand Junction Colorado