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the birth of the blood bank begins with the birth of a child 50 miles north of San Francisco in the small town of Santa Rosa California Marie Farrar gives birth to a baby girl named Teresa at Santa Rosa's General Hospital. The child

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is healthy but delivered by emergency c. section and the mother suffers extensive blood loss. She hangs on the brink of death for several hours and saved only after transfusions of blood from 14 local volunteer donors. Maria's husband, James is a local business owner, a World War

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two veteran who returned home having lost both his hands. He is well known and well liked in the community. A few days after his wife's brush with death, James thanks each volunteer donor by name in the local paper for saving the life of his wife and

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the mother of his child. Well, certainly the war brought people together and changed the way they looked at their community. Uh, and and they knew they had to get ready for population boom. By the late 1940s it was, it was pretty evident because you know during

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the war 7000 soldiers and sailors were stationed for time in this town and a lot of them came back. I mean if you were from the Cleveland National Guard and you came out here in the winter, you didn't go back to Cleveland in the winter even

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if you didn't marry a local girl and lots of them did. Cases like Marie Farrar's underscore the need for a centrally located community blood bank With the closest blood bank 50 miles away. In San Francisco North Bay doctors must rely on a walking blood bank that

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is determining a patient's blood type. Then locating matching donors and drawing and processing their blood. This method takes 4-6 hours or longer, virtually useless in emergencies. Within a few weeks of the Farrar families Close call, a blood bank association is founded in santa rosa. Members of

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the exchange club, a community service organization, the Sonoma County Medical Society and more than 40 other civic organizations, mostly women's clubs band together. Plans are set in motion to establish a local blood bank as a nonprofit community organization. The board of trustees will be an equal

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mix of laypersons and physicians representing all the districts of Sonoma County. Local pathologist Dr Owen thomas is named as the medical director, elected as the first president of the board of trustees is exchange club president, local insurance man and beloved personality fred Daniels when when my

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dad and the others founded the blood bank, of course they really had no idea that it would become such a big institution for the area and I know that he was very, very proud of his involvement over the years because he did stay so active with

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the blood bank and never really backed away from it. He was right there all the time, fred was the focal point and remains the focal point. He just had that feel about him. He was, he was a showman and it created a great community business and

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brought a lot of good people together soon after the initial meeting, the Sonoma County board of supervisors makes official its promised support of and participation in plans for a community blood bank. This new initiative quickly sparks controversy. The american Red Cross has also offered to establish

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a blood bank in the North Bay, but many fear of blood bank administered from a distance will not be responsive to local needs for others. The Red Cross's program raises the specter of socialized medicine, but the Red Cross plan has its advocates as well, pragmatists who

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balk at spending local money on a blood bank when the Red Cross is prepared to operate one in the county for free. In a stormy three hour meeting at the santa rosa Hotel. The two conflicting plans are dissected point by point audience members argue with panelists

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and with each other. In the end, a vote is held by secret ballot. The North Bay community votes unanimously against the Red Cross and in favor of a community blood bank built with local money and run by local people. My father and the other founding members

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of the Blood Bank wrote a mission statement. The Blood Bank Association is a nonprofit organization instituted by representatives of more than 40 civic fraternal service and professional groups from all sections of the county which have recognized the crying need for a blood bank in the county

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to supply the life giving fluid wherever it is needed to persons badly injured or seriously ill. Just two months after the near death of Marie Farrar, the Sonoma County community blood bank opens in the general hospital on a street. The location is temporary and the members

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launched an aggressive drive to raise funds for a permanent home. They called for the financial and moral support of each and every resident of Sonoma County and dubbed their effort the all out for $1 or more drive. The goal is to raise $25,000, enough to construct

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a building by equipment and pay the salaries of technicians. For the first year, we would rather have 25,000 people donate $1 each to the blood bank than have 25 people donate $1000 each. The blood bank must be a public service enterprise instituted by the people and

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operated for their benefit and for the benefit of their family and friends fred Daniels, $1 buys a blood bank membership card and free blood typing. The blood is not sold, it is loaned. Anyone who needs blood will get all they need and that blood will be

00:07:03.740 - 00:07:22.160

replaced by donations from the family and friends of the recipient. The community rallies to fund the effort, support comes from local business people unions, church groups and community organizations such as the Lions club and the Sons of Italy. The effort is promoted by the santa rosa

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press democrat and radio station K. S. R. O. You can see it june 8th 1948 is the official kickoff day for the fundraiser and is proclaimed by santa rosa Mayor dog as blood Bank Day donation tables and booths are set up throughout santa rosa in banks,

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department stores and other local businesses, 80 members of the Sonoma County Medical Society back the blood bank with contributions of $100 each, giving the drive a much needed boost and the momentum begins to pick up for one thing. Uh, there's a beginning of urbanization for the

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first time. You know, originally up until the war four out of five people in Sonoma County lived in rural areas. They didn't live in santa rosa, just one in one in five lived in santa rosa. And that changed in the fifties the following spring after an

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extensive search property at the corner of Montgomery Drive and Talbot Avenue was donated by mrs Genevieve Talbot and her son Leonard Hugh cottage begins the construction and by the time the building is completed, most of the labor and materials have been donated by generous local vendors.

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On August 2, 1949, the Sonoma County Community Blood Bank opens the doors of its brand new building. The first volunteer blood donor is none other than board of trustees. President fred Daniels, he was well known. I can recall going downtown with him and you couldn't even

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hardly walk a block because he'd have to stop and talk to people and they very much enjoyed his company. By 1950 the blood bank is delivering 250 points a month to local hospitals. Whole blood lasts only 21 days in cold storage. So maintaining an adequate supply

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of blood is a never ending struggle. The call goes out from local newspapers and the santa rosa Chamber of Commerce urging organizations and individuals to step up and donate regularly. Local cab companies even offer donors free taxi rides to the blood bank. Cash donations are solicited

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at petaluma leg horns, football games and ticket sales are brisk for fundraiser events. One such event takes place at one of santa rosa is most well known landmarks. The 100 years of fashion garden party is hosted by mrs Mark L. Macdonald at her home and what

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is now known as the Mcdonald Mansion. With all the proceeds going to the Sonoma County community blood bank Gowns from decades past. As far back as 1850 are modeled by local women. All to the strains of live music provided by members of the Sonoma County Symphony.

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In its first year of operation, the Blood Bank draws almost 4000 units of blood for Sonoma County hospitals. In these early days of the Sonoma County Community blood bank, most blood comes from a core group of repeat donors, especially those in the armed forces. In these

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pre health insurance days, donors are building credit for themselves and the organization of their choice. Should they or someone else need blood themselves. Tallies of units donated per individual are kept. And once it becomes clear that someone is keeping score, competitive pride kicks in. I started

00:11:21.870 - 00:11:41.020

donating blood probably around 16 or 17. I think you had to be 18 to just go on your own. But my mother signed for me and continued signing for me until I was old enough to just go on my own. Every every time that I heard

00:11:41.020 - 00:11:57.920

that there was a blood donation set up in my area, I made it there. I don't think I ever missed one that was in my area. and it was made me very proud. I thought I was doing something that a lot of people in my community

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I wouldn't know. So I went as often as I could multi gallon donors feel like V. I. P. S earning certificates and a write up in the local paper, repeat donors gain a sense of ownership and even possessiveness towards their blood bank, which for some counties

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will grow stronger as the decades progress. Eventually getting to a place in the future where regulars arrive to give blood. And sometimes grouse if they find another donor using their chair or watching their television around this time. A statewide California blood bank system is established with

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the Sonoma county community Blood bank as one of its founding members. Medical director dr Owen thomas serves on its board of directors as president and he has recognized at the national level for his part in the advancement of blood banking. International events touched the blood bank

00:13:04.610 - 00:13:24.170

as well. It teams with United States Armed forces and the Red Cross to collect blood for use in the front lines of the korean conflict. Fridays at the blood bank are set aside as Korea days and employees work overtime to meet the additional demand the newspaper

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got involved and began to run stories about how many pints of blood people were giving. And it was a source another source of great pride in the community of what they could. But volunteers could do what fundraising could do. The public rallies and the many donors

00:13:42.520 - 00:14:16.890

include employees of the press, democrat the Petaluma National Guard and the santa rosa hairdressers and cosmetologists association socially and politically. It certainly changed Sonoma County. Uh, the sixties brought us the hippie movement at Morningstar Ranch. I mean we were, you know,

00:14:16.900 - 00:14:35.290

second to san Francisco's summer of love are are communes and wheeler ranch and Morningstar where news all over the country. It brought the gay movement to, to the Russian river which was for a time a real financial boon to the Russian river area because it brought

00:14:35.300 - 00:14:54.270

tourists back that had had left when the automobile became a big deal During the 1960s maintaining an adequate stock of blood is always a concern more patients choose to pay for the units they've used rather than replace them. So repeat donors remain the backbone of the

00:14:54.270 - 00:15:13.630

supply. Nevertheless, the organization continues to grow to meet the demands of the 19 hospitals in Sonoma Lake and Mendocino counties. In 1963, an amendment is made to the blood banks articles of incorporation. It states that should the blood bank ever cease to exist, its assets can

00:15:13.640 - 00:15:32.660

only benefit a fund or group operated for religious hospital, scientific or charitable purposes. Though the blood bank is thriving and growing. Its leaders show foresight and planning for what the future might bring in keeping with its nonprofit status and community nature. They assure no one will

00:15:32.670 - 00:15:53.520

ever profit from the Blood bank's demise. I like to think of the 70s as a kind of a back to the land movement here, which brought people whose mindset had been changed by the 60s to come out of of the urban areas and and come back

00:15:53.530 - 00:16:09.640

to to nature as it were. And they settled in the West County and it changed the demographics of this county politically. Certainly in a huge way, the 19 seventies bring a time of transition and change for the United States and the Blood bank is no exception.

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Lee Sawyer is promoted to managing director after eight years. With the Blood Bank In september of 1976. The blood banks original medical director Owen thomas, dies California blood bank system, which dr thomas helped to found establishes an award in his name. The following year, it will

00:16:29.000 - 00:16:44.420

be given annually to honor individuals who make an important contribution to blood banking in California. In the late seventies. After more than a quarter century, the identity of the community blood bank is deemed in need of an update. A design competition for a new logo is

00:16:44.420 - 00:17:13.880

held among the local high schools. The winning design by santa rosa High School Junior Justin johnson features a redwood Empire Tree of Life comprised of three blood drops representing Sonoma Lake and Mendocino counties. As the 70s progress, external forces put new pressures on the blood bank.

00:17:13.910 - 00:17:33.630

Within the executive board, there is extended discussion of rising costs of malpractice insurance and the necessity for raising service fees to cover the costs nationwide. The blood bank situation is disorganized. 15% of the nation's blood supply comes from paid donors. This practice is largely to blame

00:17:33.630 - 00:17:54.840

for the 17,000 annual cases of post transfusion hepatitis because they profit from giving blood donors routinely withhold the whole truth about their medical and travel history. In response, the FDA adopts the first national blood policy in 1974 to assure an adequate and safe blood supply to

00:17:54.840 - 00:18:12.390

all americans. It encourages the phasing out of the use of paid blood donors in favor of volunteer donors and regionalization of the blood supply. Using a community blood center model. It has taken almost 25 years, but the federal government now recognizes as a best practice the

00:18:12.400 - 00:18:33.750

very plan that Sonoma County has had in place since 1949. The founders of the Sonoma County Community Blood Bank certainly could take some satisfaction. This affirmation of the Community blood bank model and for their decision way back in 1950 to exclude paid donors, but a frightening

00:18:33.750 - 00:18:53.750

new disease is about to rear its head, one that dwarfs previous concerns over hepatitis and syphilis. This morning, the subcommittee commences the second of a series of public hearings on the safety of the blood supply of this nation. The blood industry and the government failed to

00:18:53.750 - 00:19:21.290

prevent transfusion of thousands of pints of blood and blood products infected with the AIDS virus. In the 1980s, AIDS explodes into the national consciousness. How acquired immune deficiency syndrome is contracted and transmitted is a subject swirling with controversy and misinformation, but fears of contracting it bring

00:19:21.290 - 00:19:38.420

a decrease in the use of blood transfusions nationwide. Even on the national level at the Centers for Disease Control, there is no consensus on the nature and degree of the risk nor what should be done. Public safety and public confidence in the blood supply are both

00:19:38.420 - 00:19:58.730

in jeopardy. At the Sonoma County Community Blood Bank concerns over the safety of employees who draw and handle blood leads to new precautions though there is no AIDS vaccine, the blood bank begins providing Hepatitis B vaccine to at risk employees, all employees must sign a waiver

00:19:58.730 - 00:20:14.050

stating that they have been informed and understand the consequences whether or not they received the vaccine. In this troubled context, Dr Mark demayo steps in as acting medical director of the blood bank and his volunteer position is made official on March 22nd, 1983. When I was

00:20:14.050 - 00:20:34.000

elected to this position as blood bank director, I considered a high honor. I had no idea what was about to hit me and the rest of the blood banks and the individuals receiving blood in the United States. The HIV virus at the time was an unknown

00:20:34.010 - 00:20:55.380

and we had no specific tests. So what we had to do was use surrogate tests in order to try to uh prevent the transmission of this disease process. We developed a number of strategies to go about this and everyone was developing these things on their own

00:20:55.380 - 00:21:13.020

and talk about a cowboy time. This was it and cowboy up was it? We were on top of a bucking bronco and its name was HIV and it was not only the alternative lifestyle or gay community that was a problem, It was the drug problem. And

00:21:13.020 - 00:21:29.600

with it came hepatitis and a number of other things. So we concentrated on testing for things that were related to it because we didn't have a test for it. As medical director, he institutes new policies at the blood bank. They make it harder for gay persons

00:21:29.600 - 00:21:46.730

to donate blood, which provokes some anger and demeo quickly becomes a target of attack from the local media. I did not realize at first the pile of manure down the street was for me. I thought somebody just lost it off a load on a track. But

00:21:46.730 - 00:22:04.800

later on in Granville newspaper, they had made a comment that that was for me at the time. Again, it was you didn't know what was gonna happen if manure was dropped there, what's the next thing it was gonna be? What's the next shoe to be dropped?

00:22:04.800 - 00:22:20.160

You know, it sounds kind of funny now and it was after a while but you know, it got kind of serious when people threaten you and do call your names and threatened the blood bank got threatened in a number of ways. But the manure story was

00:22:20.170 - 00:22:39.130

the best In response to widespread public fears over AIDS and other diseases contaminating the blood supply. The Sonoma County Community Blood Bank also institutes a designated unit program. In 1985, donors can now give blood and make it available to a specific designated recipient. In this way,

00:22:39.140 - 00:22:59.840

patients who need transfusions can be confident knowing the source of the blood they receive in our region which includes the SAN Francisco Bay area. It was a difficult time for the gay community. It was confusing and our medical direction was in place to make sure that

00:22:59.840 - 00:23:21.540

we took care of patients and sometimes that um made it seem like we weren't taking care of our gay community because we had to set up some parameters. When the gay community stopped donating, some of the other donors actually wanted to stop donating as well because

00:23:21.540 - 00:23:44.230

they were confused. Sonoma County in particular. Our donorship was very stable. We didn't lose a lot of donors. Um, I think we came together to try to solve the problems. I stopped donating blood when it was announced that they would no longer accept blood from gay

00:23:44.230 - 00:24:05.610

men simply put, there was nothing I could do about it had I had mixed emotions about it, but I understood if they couldn't do the test to tell if there was anything wrong with the blood, why would you want to take a chance on harming somebody?

00:24:05.620 - 00:24:23.110

When the whole point of it is that gift of life. I saw so many of my friends die and that was something I had never experienced before. And it was a sense of helplessness. There was nothing you could do. No one would take your blood. Even

00:24:23.120 - 00:24:41.740

even to give it to somebody that had AIDS. There was just you were just put out to pasture. Despite these precautionary measures in 1985, the worst fears of the blood bank staff are realized contaminated blood from the blood bank leads to a case of post transfusion

00:24:41.750 - 00:24:59.610

AIDS. The worst fear of any medical director at the time in the early 80s, when this was going on with the HIV experience is to have an individual case come out of your own blood bank and we did have such a case. The patient eventually dies

00:24:59.610 - 00:25:22.040

from the disease contracted after receiving one pint of infected blood at a local hospital in 1984. Meanwhile, there are other, more systemic financial pressures coming to bear as well on blood banks around the country, hospitals squeezed by new government limits on reimbursement for care are in

00:25:22.040 - 00:25:39.870

turn pressuring blood banks to charge less. While the costs to test and process blood at the blood banks escalate blood banks must share the pain the hospitals are feeling or face the threat of them going elsewhere. For less costly blood, blood is a two edged sword.

00:25:39.880 - 00:26:01.640

It has the potential saving lives and also giving diseases. The sensitivity of the blood community has gotten so escalated that we have had to add test upon test upon test and one of the big first problems that we had with blood was hepatitis we had that

00:26:01.640 - 00:26:25.920

solved when we started to get a test for hepatitis B. We had no idea about hepatitis C or the other ones at the time. Then HIV came and then other potentials came right on the back of HIV sending the cost of blood through the roof. In

00:26:25.920 - 00:26:44.270

the 80s, we began to see the, the change in leadership in the community. Uh, the greatest generation as Tom Brokaw calls it uh, was aging and the baby boomers were beginning to step up and there was a change in attitude uh, particularly in civic attitude in

00:26:44.270 - 00:27:04.020

terms of volunteerism. Uh more emphasis on making money on getting rich and less emphasis on doing the right thing for the town. The mid eighties bring other dramatic changes. On april 10th 1984 fred Daniels resigns his position as board president because of ill health. At the

00:27:04.020 - 00:27:19.690

annual dinner meeting. He is honored by members and guests and is presented with a plaque Commemorating his 35 years of service to the blood bank the following year to counter the widespread misconception that the Sonoma county community Blood bank is solely a county agency. Its name

00:27:19.690 - 00:27:42.970

is changed to Blood Bank of the Redwoods, which better reflects the three county area it now serves That year. The blood bank collects over 17,000 units of blood. The following year, blood Bank of the redwoods moves into a new building at the corner of Europa Avenue

00:27:42.970 - 00:28:00.450

and methods, which serves as their final location. I started working with the blood bank when they were in the new building. And it's amazing what the energy level is when you've got a group of people coming together excited about where they are and what they do.

00:28:01.530 - 00:28:23.090

Uh, it's like the energy of a startup and their startup was to begin to work together as a business, not just a nonprofit 10 year employee Kathy brian who started as a receptionist in the 19 seventies is named the new managing director and eventually become Ceo

00:28:23.100 - 00:28:43.490

and president. She will be the third and final woman to head the blood bank joining her predecessors, Agnes Barlow and lee Sawyer. I think it's a unique opportunity for our community to have had three women run the blood center. Agnes was involved from the beginning and

00:28:43.490 - 00:29:10.260

I think her presence took its its own form. She obviously made herself indispensable. What you could see was someone who was willing to be the focal point. Lee had been there about 10 years, had been a operational do everything employee. Agnes right hand. She wanted to

00:29:10.270 - 00:29:38.180

leave behind a legacy. She was the one to create that building. Leave her mark um, with the building as well as with the new name Blood Bank of the redwoods. Well, I started in 1977 and I was fortunate enough to see the community blood bank environment

00:29:38.190 - 00:30:03.480

that I read about from the past. Everyone in the building knew each other. The employees were all friendly. We all knew the donors. The donors were our friends. It was what I had always thought community, not for profits were all about about the people. As the

00:30:03.480 - 00:30:21.840

1980s transition into the 1990s, financial pressures on blood banks are an increasing burden, hospitals continue to pressure blood banks to reduce costs in the wake of the AIDS crisis. The FADA forces blood banks to institute more stringent and more costly safety measures. The american red cross

00:30:21.840 - 00:30:42.390

and many hospitals abandoned the national blood policy. This brings new and aggressive competition. Hospital served by one regional blood bank can now be solicited by others in the price cutting wars that follow smaller community blood banks begin to lose and in a really short period of

00:30:42.390 - 00:31:02.980

time, there were more than a half dozen tests being applied to every pine of blood that was being drawn, but no one was willing to pay for that. And so blood bank had to figure out a way to absorb all of those costs and still keep

00:31:02.990 - 00:31:22.540

their product price the same to the open market. Blood bank of the Redwoods enters this new millennium. Within this troubled milieu. Despite the turmoil. By 2008, they employ more than 150 people. They draw 45,000 units of blood and pass a significant milestone. The one millionth pint

00:31:22.540 - 00:31:37.880

of blood collected and put back into the community bloodstream by BB our staff. But with the national economy floundering and national health care in a state of flux, hospitals are forced to look at their blood providers more closely than ever. The local hospital served by the

00:31:37.880 - 00:31:55.670

blood bank of the redwoods are no exception during the last decade of the blood banks life, three hospitals, Kaiser Sutter and Santa Rosa Memorial clearly become the major hospitals in the area and therefore, there are three main customers in june of 2008 after an outstanding 60

00:31:55.670 - 00:32:12.520

year community relationship with blood bank of the redwoods santa rosa Memorial Hospital opts to partner with blood centers of the pacific, a far larger blood organization from san Francisco. The loss of 25% of DBRS revenues from Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital is significant and leads to an

00:32:12.520 - 00:32:28.100

immediate restructuring and downsizing of the organization. While B. B. R. Is able to weather the financial blow from losing its largest hospital, it soon becomes clear that if one of the other two main hospitals follow suit, it will be too great of a financial burden for

00:32:28.100 - 00:32:50.520

the small blood center to overcome. I would say for the last probably 10 years every year was a tremendous challenge for blood bank, to to try and figure out how would they be able to stay in business and provide a blood supply to this community. The

00:32:50.520 - 00:33:11.790

intent of a blood bank. Its mission is to take care of patients in the hospitals that you serve. The question of how to do that had been evolving for a decade and a half because each year it will get harder and harder to get the excess

00:33:11.790 - 00:33:34.200

revenue to put back into the business, to do the next test to hire the next employee too. Um, by the next piece of equipment, we took that mission and said, how do we take ourselves out of that equation? But make sure the mission continues. So we

00:33:34.200 - 00:33:56.430

chose an organization with a like mission and a like history and asked them to come in and they did really the best solution. And the hardest solution that they came up with was their final decision to close the blood bank to find someone else to take

00:33:56.440 - 00:34:13.850

on providing a viable blood supply into this community for them. They did it two or three years in advance of when they would have had to um they could have continued on limping along. Um they could have used up all of the reserves that they had

00:34:13.850 - 00:34:40.750

worked so hard to to produce. And instead I think that they have done the most gracious and generous thing that they could have. They've provided two counties with a phenomenal legacy On June 30th, 2011 Blood Bank of the Redwoods ceases to exist in a move that

00:34:40.750 - 00:34:58.380

will ensure a continuous blood supply to the North Bay Communities. Blood centers of the pacific acquires all its assets, its hospital clients, its list of blood donors, the property, the building and everything in it. And yet there is more to tell this community story which began

00:34:58.380 - 00:35:13.550

with the birth ends with a rebirth thanks to the foresight of its founders and the determination of its current board of directors and management. The proceeds from the sale of Blood Bank of the Redwoods will live on in perpetuity as an endowment in the stewardship of

00:35:13.550 - 00:35:23.890

the Sonoma and mendocino. Community foundations interest and earnings will go to community health care projects in need of funding today tomorrow and forever.