By: Ruby Ramirez
This January marks the 52nd anniversary of National Blood Donor Month – a time to recognize the importance of giving blood and platelets while celebrating the impact of those who roll up a sleeve to help patients in need. In honor of this special month, our Georgia Red Cross teams collaborated to give you a behind-the-scenes look at one of the Red Cross’ largest blood distribution centers in the nation, located in Douglasville, Georgia.
Just 20 miles outside of Atlanta, the American Red Cross Blood Manufacturing Facility and Immunohematology Reference Laboratory of the Georgia region is responsible for providing blood products to over 100 hospital partners across the Southeastern region of the United States, delivering over 300,000 units of red blood cells and about 50,000 platelet products to hospital shelves annually.
Staffed to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the facility’s Immunohematology Reference Laboratory is the second largest in the American Red Cross system. In this sector of the facility, staff works closely with hospitals to provide specialty blood for patients with complex transfusion needs, such as individuals with sickle cell disease who depend on closely matched blood donors. The lab works around the clock to help meet these special needs, filling an average of 500 unique requests from hospitals each month.
With the help of regional biomedical subject matter experts, the Georgia Red Cross gives viewers an inside look at what happens to each donation that comes through the door of its 182,000-square foot distribution facility. The virtual tour also shares how the Red Cross uses state-of-the-art technology and streamlined design measures to ensure the safety and efficiency in the manufacturing, testing, storage, and distribution of blood products that help save countless lives across the country. Let’s take a look!