Who we are

What we do

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• Connecting people who give blood with those in need

  Every two seconds, someone needs blood. And because blood cannot be synthetically made, there is no substitute. Only volunteer donors can save lives.

  At Memorial Blood Centers, we welcome tens of thousands of donors who come to roll up their sleeves and donate whole blood, red blood cells, platelets, or plasma at the 11 Donor Centers we operate throughout Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. We also partner with hundreds of businesses, community and civic groups, high schools and colleges, and places of worship to conduct over 2,000 Blood Drives each year that help us connect even more volunteers who donate with the thousands of people in need of their life-saving gift.

  The blood donors generously give through Memorial Blood Centers is thoroughly tested, typed, labeled, and prepared for distribution to our 30+ area hospital partners and community members in need. When called upon, we also provide blood to other blood centers and healthcare-related organizations throughout the nation, and to U.S. military agencies during times of need.

• Laboratory testing and research expertise

  From routine screenings to the most complex antibody investigations, hospitals and blood centers across the country look to Memorial Blood Centers’ AABB-accredited Immunohematology Reference Laboratory (IRL) for the professional expertise and quality blood products they need to ensure the safety and well-being of their patients. Nearly 25,000 square feet of our St. Paul, MN-based headquarters is dedicated to advanced scientific laboratories that are FDA licensed and achieve compliance with European Union (EU) blood manufacturing and testing standards. Expert staff provides accredited reference lab services, transfusion support and medical consultation, a comprehensive set of Testing Services to help protect donors and recipients, and Parentage and Immigration Testing Services. In addition, research at Memorial Blood Centers works to advance the scientific study of infectious diseases that sets the standard for the blood industry. Participating in key industry Clinical Trials, including those evaluating new testing platforms for diseases, Memorial Blood Centers is among the pioneers in this rapidly evolving industry.

• Right type—quality products readily available at the right time

  Cost-effective product delivery, reliability, and patient safety are priority #1 at Memorial Blood Centers. Quality, purity, and potency set the standard for the blood and related products that we provide to our hospital, clinic, and other healthcare industry partners. Operational efficiencies streamline processes, reduce costs, and help us deliver on the commitment to service excellence you can expect of a Minnesota Quality Award winner. In addition, sophisticated production planning and effective screening and manufacturing ensure that we efficiently meet each client’s unique specifications, while providing the personal attention to detail required to deliver the right product, the right type—anytime, anywhere. Among the first group of blood centers in the nation to implement the new international blood bag labeling system ISBT 128, we have consistently been among the industry’s leaders in pioneering expertise and services to improve the performance levels our clients achieve, promote blood safety, and enhance patient outcomes.