What does Salisbury blood donor center closure mean for TidalHealth?

7/22/25: The Salisbury donor center has reopened. Read the latest article at the link below. 

TidalHealth Peninsula Regional transfuses blood into about 3,500 patients each year. So, what happens now that the Blood Bank of Delmarva’s Salisbury Donor Center has closed?   

According to both the Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) and Kim Adkins, TidalHealth senior laboratory director, the health system is not anticipating any impact to its blood supply.  

The BBD emailed donors Thursday to inform them the decision had been made to permanently close the Salisbury donor center, located a couple miles from TidalHealth Peninsula Regional on Mount Hermon Road.  

A BBD spokesperson who did not wish to be named said donor center locations are regularly evaluated. The Salisbury donor center had seen a decline in donations over the past several years.  

“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close the Salisbury Donor Center permanently,” the spokesperson said. “This decision was made with the needs of hospital patients as our top priority, and we remain fully committed to maintaining a stable and reliable blood supply. We do not anticipate any impact on our hospital partners and the patients they serve.”   

The closest donor center is located in Dagsboro, Delaware, about 24 miles away. The Dagsboro donor center is located in the Clayton Crossing Shopping Center at 32445 Royal Blvd.  

“TidalHealth does not foresee any impact on the blood supply that will be delivered to the hospitals since Blood Bank of Delmarva is part of New York Blood Center, which receives blood donations from multiple sites across the country,” Adkins said. “Donors are encouraged to give blood at the Blood Bank of Delmarva Dagsboro location or at the mobile blood drives we have at both TidalHealth Peninsula Regional and TidalHealth Nanticoke. TidalHealth has a blood drive scheduled for May 1, 2025, at TidalHealth Nanticoke.”  

Donors can search for the nearest blood drive by visiting the Blood Bank of Delmarva website and searching by ZIP code.

Liz Townsend, RN, clinical manager for TidalHealth Peninsula Regional’s Emergency Department and TidalHealth Emergency Services in Crisfield, said the Emergency Department in Salisbury becomes busier as the weather gets warmer. 

“When Ocean City starts to get busy, we start to get busy,” she said.  

Common traumas she and her team see include motor vehicle collisions and falls. The TidalHealth Peninsula Regional emergency team saw nearly 3,000 trauma patients in 2024, and she said they expect to see more in 2025.  

A critical trauma patient requires what’s called a “massive transfusion protocol,” which is six units of blood, Townsend said. Depending on the issue, a trauma patient could require multiple rounds – anywhere from six to 20 units of blood. Blood is transfused in parts; for example, she said, a trauma patient is getting red blood cells to replace what the body is breaking down.  

Although the BBD said the agency understands the disappointment, there are no plans at this time for another donor location to open on the Lower Eastern Shore, the spokesperson said. 

“We are continuously exploring ways to expand and enhance access to donation opportunities and remain committed to finding new solutions to meet the evolving needs of our donors," the spokesperson said. “Blood drives will continue to run in the area as usual and upcoming donation locations can be found online at https://delmarvablood.org/.”