Blood Bank of Delmarva reopens Salisbury donor center

The Blood Bank of Delmarva’s Salisbury donor center is back open after closing in February.  

Its first day back open was July 21. Appointments have filled up quickly; the next available date for whole blood donations is Sept. 15, according to the Blood Bank of Delmarva website as of July 22.  

There are opportunities in July and August to donate platelets. There are appointments to donate whole blood, platelets or double red cells during September.   

 “Earlier this year, we made the difficult decision to temporarily close our Salisbury donor center due to resource constraints,” reads part of a statement provided by Blood Bank of Delmarva Director of Public Relations Chelsey Smith. “This was not a decision we took lightly, but one that allowed us to continue supporting hospital partners and donor centers across the region during a challenging time. Thanks to overwhelming support and feedback from the Salisbury community, we’ve worked hard to reallocate resources and staff in order to reopen the donor center. It will be open on Mondays and Tuesdays, with expanded hours planned as resources allow.” 

The Delmarva region is also experiencing a blood emergency as of July 21 at 6 am, Smith said. The Blood Bank of Delmarva attributes this to the usual expected summer decline in donations, along with an increase in trauma cases. The nonprofit is making an urgent call for donors who can help. 

Kim Adkins, TidalHealth senior laboratory director, was pleased to hear the news of the center’s reopening.  

“We have noticed an increased amount of blood being shipped here from New York and other places within New York Blood Center Enterprises,” Adkins said. “We appreciate our local donors and are glad that they will again be able to donate locally.” 

Someone needs blood in the U.S. every two seconds, according to America’s Blood Centers. That means patients across the country need blood donations 43,200 times every day. So, donations are always needed. 

“Reopening Salisbury reflects our commitment to serving the community and responding to its needs,” the statement provided by Smith continued. “We’re excited to welcome donors back to this donor center and look forward to growing with the community in the months ahead.”