Upper Peninsula Regional Blood Center

In addition, the American Red Cross operates blood centers in 41 states as part of a national blood banking operation.

The primary difference between community-based blood centers and the American Red Cross Blood Service is that community-based blood centers like the U.P. Regional Blood Center are locally controlled.

The American Red Cross frequently collects blood in communities where they do not provide blood to local hospitals, or collects more blood in an area than is needed by the local hospital in that area.  These extra donations are used to maintain blood supplies in other areas of the nation.  

There are also for-profit blood agencies that purchase blood for pharmaceutical companies and other purposes.

Blood banks like the U.P. Regional Blood Center that provide blood products for transfusion cannot offer rewards, such as cash, that could influence a donor to misrepresent his or her health history or risks for spreading infectious diseases like HIV or hepatitis.

Prohibiting valuable incentives is one way the Food and Drug Administration and the blood banking community help ensure that the blood supply remains safe.

Other Places to Donate Blood in Michigan

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