SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — A skirmish of sorts is occurring over blood donations in the Sioux Falls area.
Last week, the Sioux Falls Community Blood Bank sent out a letter to supporters that said other “blood bank entities are reaching out to local organizations to schedule blood drives in our service area.”
The letter added, “The work of these agencies is certainly valuable, yet the book they collect does not stay local and compromises our own blood supply. . .”
The SFCBB is jointly run by Avera Health and Sanford Health, with blood donation facilities at both Sioux Falls locations.
A check of the Red Cross blood donation website shows a number of events they’ve scheduled in the area.
In February, news partner DRG News reported that LifeServe Blood Center became the sole supplier of all blood and blood products for nine of Avera’s hospitals in South Dakota– including the ones in Gettysburg, Miller, and Pierre.
DRG News also reported:
Since the beginning of the year, those nine hospitals– which also include the Avera hospital in Aberdeen and Avera-affiliated hospitals in Britton and Redfield– have been receiving blood products from LifeServe Blood Center rather than former supplier Vitalant. Hospitals in Eureka, Bowdle, and Faulkton will begin receiving all of their blood products from LifeServe starting in April 2022.
LifeServe provides blood to 130 hospitals in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
The Sioux Falls Blood Bank says the advantage of donating blood through them is that the blood goes to local hospitals and health care facilities.
The Sioux Falls Blood Banks serves health care facilities in eastern South Dakota, western Minnesota, and northwest Iowa.
Midwest Communications Radio, the owner of KELO-AM and its sister stations, has been a long-time supporter of the Sioux Falls Community Blood Bank.
(Jody Heemstra, DRG News, contributed to this report.)
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