San Diego Blood Bank
2021/22 Impact Report
Welcome Friends,
In January 2021, the evolution of COVID-19 and its impact on businesses led to a first-ever, national blood crisis. Illness prevented donors from donating regularly. Businesses working remotely canceled blood drives. Hospitals across the country were forced to alter patient care to maximize critical usage of blood products.
To better serve more people, San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB) increased blood collections by opening two new permanent donation sites, generously funded in part by financial donors who supported our expansion efforts. Gifts from SDBB financial donors are vital. They support our mission to advance and grow the essential services we provide.
In January '22, we welcomed blood donors to our first Orange County fixed site, Irvine Business District Donor Center, where we operate as Southern California Blood Bank, a division of San Diego Blood Bank. We also opened a new permanent site in Chula Vista at Terra Nova Plaza. This location is conveniently located in South San Diego, making blood donation more accessible to diverse communities. Together, these two new locations are already collecting hundreds of pints of blood per month for local hospitals.
With a grant from The Conrad Prebys Foundation that funds innovative technology for our Precision BloodTM program, SDBB brings greater precision to transfusion medicine to ensure patients receive the most compatible blood type matches available. Precision Blood innovation ensures physicians can quickly identify and have access to the best transfusion products for their patients, resulting in fewer immune reactions and complications, and better health outcomes.
The best blood type matches are often found between people who share blood type and ethnic origins. The most reliable blood supply must reflect the diversity of all the communities we serve. The diversification of our blood supply is an essential way we can better serve our community. It is also an important aspect of furthering our research on blood genotyping.
Last year also included the launch of our Guardians Circle Donor Pledge program, a membership-based appreciation program that acknowledges blood donors for consistently donating. Members can choose their rewards, are automatically entered into random raffles, and receive well-deserved recognition and appreciation as Guardians of our community’s blood supply.
In collaboration with County of San Diego Live Well Partners, SDBB also launched the Community Guardians Program in May 2022. This program offers companies, schools, and other organizations the opportunity to partner with SDBB to recruit, educate, advocate for, and inspire people in their networks to donate blood. The actions of our Community Guardians ripple into their communities, enabling us to activate diverse populations that we would not be able to reach otherwise.
Plans are underway to launch the program on a larger scale in Winter 2022 so we can continue to collectively grow our donor base.
Keeping a community healthy takes a village. With the dedicated support of blood donors and Guardians Circle members, individual, corporate, and foundation financial supporters, financial sponsors, blood drive Chairpersons, volunteers, hospital and community partners, Community Guardians, our board and Community Advisory Committee, and staff, we continue to grow our services and save more lives throughout Southern California.
We hope you enjoy reading about our impact in the last year and we thank you for your continued and loyal support.
Doug Morton, Chief Executive Officer
2021/2022 IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS
58,170
Individual Blood Donors
15,859
First-Time Blood Donors
355
Dedicated Volunteers
17,274
Total Volunteer Hours
Lifesaving Blood Supply Distributed 2021-2022
99,964
Red Blood Cell Units
20,775
Platelet Units
19,838
Plasma Units
64+
Neonatal Units Per Week
Primary Blood Provider to 43 Hospital Partners in Southern California
A San Diego Blood Bank bloodmobile is parked outside Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, a longtime hospital partner served by SDBB.
A San Diego Blood Bank bloodmobile is parked outside Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego, a longtime hospital partner served by SDBB.
So Cal Hospital Partners
Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego
Kaiser-Permanente Zion
Sharp Grossmont Hospital
LA County @ USC Medical Center
Hoag Presbyterian Medical Center – Newport Beach
Harbor UCLA Medical Center
Torrance Memorial Medical Center
Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
and many more...
Dr. Denise Malicki addresses the media at joint press conference for a Rady Children's Hospital Blood Drive in 2021 focused on pediatric patients like leukemia warrior, Quincy (featured on poster).
Dr. Denise Malicki addresses the media at joint press conference for a Rady Children's Hospital Blood Drive in 2021 focused on pediatric patients like leukemia warrior, Quincy (featured on poster).
Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego
"We consider San Diego Blood Bank an essential partner for the care of our patients at Rady Children’s Hospital - San Diego. From providing live dashboard inventory management and nighttime STAT deliveries, to performing reference testing and consultation on rare, antigen-negative units, the staff at SDBB are reliable, knowledgeable, and incomparably expert. We are so grateful for all of the work SDBB does to collect, process, and provide lifesaving blood products for our patients!"
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Blood drives help us collect approximately 50% of our annual blood supply. It is through these community partners and their dedication to supporting regional health that SDBB can meet the needs of our hospital partners.
From July 2021 through June 2022, in partnership with the community, SDBB hosted over 1,700 mobile blood drives.
Thank you to all our blood drive hosts!
6th Annual Padres Summer Blood Drive presented by Sycuan Casino Resort in Gallagher Square on May 26, 2022.
6th Annual Padres Summer Blood Drive presented by Sycuan Casino Resort in Gallagher Square on May 26, 2022.
PADRES SUMMER BLOOD DRIVE
More than 500 pints of blood were collected at the 6th Annual Padres Summer Blood Drive presented by Sycuan Casino Resort—impacting up to 1,500 local patient lives!
Blood donors walked away with two game ticket vouchers and a limited-edition Summer Blood Drive T-shirt.
Special thank you to the San Diego Padres for supporting community health with six consecutive years of summer blood drives. Since 2017, more than 2,418 pints of blood have gone on to support patients in Southern California hospitals.
We thank Sycuan Casino Resort for their presenting sponsorship of this signature event in addition to 27 impactful years of partnership in helping our community thrive.
COMIC-CON® BLOOD DRIVE
The 45th Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) continued to boost the blood supply through a colorful collection of lifesavers and heroes that volunteered time and blood to save lives.
With pandemic restrictions on in-person events, Comic-Con hosted a 38-day Blood Drive in July 2021 during Comic-Con@Home, a digital version of its San Diego Comic-Con convention. Later that year in November, SDBB hosted a 4-day blood drive during Comic-Con Special Edition, a smaller, socially distanced in-person event for the sci-fi and cosplay community.
Through both blood drive efforts, SDBB collected more than 18,885 pints of blood—making 2021 the most successful year in partnership with Comic-Con International ever!
Donors received limited-edition T-shirts at both blood drive events thanks to our partnerships with MAD Engine and Marvel.
During Comic-Con Special Edition in November 2021, SDBB received proclamations from the County of San Diego and the Mayor’s office. (Pictured) SDBB CEO, Doug Morton and Director of Recruitment, Michael Schayer presented an award of recognition to Comic-Con International’s Chief Communications & Strategy Officer David Glanzer (pictured) for an incredible 45 years of lifesaving partnership.
ANJANETTE'S STORY
Overcoming illness, Anjanette's passion and gratitude inspires artistic community for underserved
After taking a Pilates class, Anjanette felt dizzy and barely able to stand. She could usually keep up thanks to decades of dance training, but this day was different. Anjanette called her doctor just to be safe. She was told to go to the ER immediately, where she stayed for 45 days.
Despite a small brain hemorrhage a few years prior and managing moderate anemia, Anjanette was generally healthy. She was even a blood donor. Anjanette didn’t want to let a tough workout take her down, but her gut said, “call the doctor.”
That instinct likely saved her life.
At Kaiser Zion, Anjanette was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), an aggressive type of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that can occur in adults. Once a deadly form of cancer, APL can now be cured thanks to a breakthrough chemotherapy treatment.
“I would look up at the blood bag and think, who are you? Who are the people who donated this blood? The thing I need. It’s here because someone gave it willingly. I am blessed.”
Grateful for blood donors who saved her life, Anjanette is an advocate for blood donation and passionate supporter of San Diego Blood Bank’s mission.
Today, Anjanette is in remission. She is living her dream as the Founder, Artistic Director, and CEO at Maraya Performing Arts in Chula Vista.
Her vision is to amplify Filipino arts and culture through arts education and classes for underserved youths in the community. At the studio, students learn about expression, acting, movement, as well as cultural dances that embrace Filipino traditions and a rich history of dance. ◻️
San Diego Blood Bank Program Highlights
Frances—with our Blood Donor Experience Manager, Nicole—has been donating blood all over the world since she was 18-years old; that’s 65 years of saving lives! She is a proud Guardians Circle member.
Frances—with our Blood Donor Experience Manager, Nicole—has been donating blood all over the world since she was 18-years old; that’s 65 years of saving lives! She is a proud Guardians Circle member.
New Blood Donor Recognition Program
The Guardians Circle Donor Pledge Program is a blood donor rewards program for committed lifesavers who make the pledge to donate blood within 8 weeks of their eligibility date. Members receive raffle entries for fun prizes, choice rewards, and appreciation for making a difference for local patients, as true Guardians of our community.
Learn more about SDBB's Donor Programs
SDBB’s Cord Blood team celebrates together while preparing to ship one of four lifesaving cord blood units to a patient match this year.
SDBB’s Cord Blood team celebrates together while preparing to ship one of four lifesaving cord blood units to a patient match this year.
Cord Blood Program Impact
SDBB’s Cord Blood Banking Program serves as a public cord blood bank in California that provides lifesaving stem cells to help patients overcome life-threatening illnesses. Qualified cord blood donations are stored at SDBB and listed on the Be The Match Registry® through the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP), and are available for transplantation worldwide.
In 2021, SDBB shipped four cord blood units for to help save the lives of a newborn, two toddlers, and a patient in their 50s.
SDBB employees with Nathan Fletcher, Chair of the County Board of Supervisors, at the County of San Diego annual blood drive. The County and SDBB partnered to develop and pilot the Community Guardians program in May 2022.
SDBB employees with Nathan Fletcher, Chair of the County Board of Supervisors, at the County of San Diego annual blood drive. The County and SDBB partnered to develop and pilot the Community Guardians program in May 2022.
New Community Partner Program
Community Guardians are local businesses and organizations committed to partnering with SDBB to help protect our region’s blood supply. These partners recruit blood donors through their digital networks and by hosting
blood drives. Participants also include blood donation advocates focused on spreading awareness and financial sponsors supporting events or donor programs.
Community Guardians make a collective impact, helping us to reach a more diverse population. Together, we save more lives in our region.
Learn more about Community Guardians at sandiegobloodbank.org/community-guardians
SDBB employees recruiting blood donors for the All of Us Research Program at this years Padres Summer Blood Drive.
SDBB employees recruiting blood donors for the All of Us Research Program at this years Padres Summer Blood Drive.
All of Us Research Program Milestone
SDBB joins the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in celebrating a big milestone in 2021. More than 500,000 participants have joined the All of Us Research Program, including several hundred from SDBB, to help accelerate health research and medical breakthroughs.
At 50% of its goal of recruiting 1,000,000 participants, All of Us is on its way to creating equity in healthcare for future generations.
Learn more about All of Us at go.joinallofus.org/SDBB.
MASON'S STORY
Our Community Connects Patients to Life
Mason is an accomplished kid. At 13, he’s already a seasoned public speaker, patient advocate, and an artist. Beyond that, Mason is a survivor.
In 2020, Mason was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. On top of the difficulties of the pandemic, he needed emergency blood transfusions. Immunosuppressed patients like Mason are often overlooked. The lives of people in treatment for cancer, acute and chronic diseases, and anemia were brought to a standstill by the dangers of the pandemic. They had to remain home and out of harm’s way while the threat of COVID-19 loomed. For Mason and his family, the last few years have been tough.
Today, Mason is in ongoing treatment for Crohn’s, receiving in-patient infusions of medication every two weeks. At-times, the symptoms are unmanageable, and they have taken huge toll on his life. While the rest of the world tries to adjust to a new normal, Mason and others like him face different challenges. For others, masks are coming off, but theirs stay on. Birthday parties and other large gatherings are canceled. Active social lives have become a thing of the past.
Despite all that, Mason is thriving.
If you're lucky enough to be around him, you will find that Mason is a special human. You might have seen him speak at the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Mason was invited to cut the ribbon at the grand opening of San Diego Blood Bank's new Liberty Station Donor Center in Point Loma.
His artwork was even chosen to be featured in SDBB's holiday cards. Every day, he chooses to be brave, and to make a difference.
Mason often shares his story with our blood donors, volunteers, and financial supporters. Our donor community, including our Guardians Circle, loves to see Mason when he visits.
With every heartbeat, the blood running through Mason’s veins is a reminder of their precious gift. It's thanks to the collective help of our donors, staff, and supporters that Mason gets to explore, create, and build an amazing future.
His hope is to help find a cure for Crohn’s. In the meantime, Mason wants to inspire more blood donors to give life. His life is just beginning and he’s going places—blood donors made sure of that.
Gratitude is constant in the Harvey home, and, like Mason and his family, we are grateful.
For kids like Mason, we come together. Blood donors give the gift of life. Financial donors, volunteers, and blood drive operations keep things running smoothly. Phlebotomists, scientific research and lab staff, and technicians collect and process donations, and our hospital services team delivers blood to local hospitals.
We are symbiotic, bringing out the best in each other to protect the health of our community through life-giving blood—both now and in the future.
Without one another, advances in blood and biotherapies aren’t possible. It is together that we will pave the way for precision medicine and new standards of care. ◻️
PHILANTHROPY IMPACT
770 Individuals and Organizations Contributed $1,503,434 in 2021-2022
Financial supporters funded San Diego Blood Bank’s greatest needs for lifesaving blood collection resources and innovative blood transfusion technology to improve the lives of patients throughout Southern California.
SDBB financial donors helped fund blood collection equipment including donor chairs, Trima Accel® Automated Blood Collection Systems, HemoFlow blood collection monitors, and other critical supplies to ensure our new locations in Chula Vista and Irvine were fully equipped when their doors opened, in January and June 2022, respectively.
Two New Permanent Sites
IMPACT: Increase in blood collection volume from diverse donors
Irvine Business District Donor Center
Chula Vista Terra Nova
The new Chula Vista Terra Nova and Irvine Business District Donor Center make it more convenient for people in South Bay and Orange County to donate blood. They are already collecting hundreds of lifesaving pints of blood every month to meet the needs of more patients in local hospitals.
52 New HemoFlow 400XS Blood Collection Monitors
IMPACT: Safe and efficient blood collection
Support from individual donors and charitable foundations funded the purchase of 52 HemoFlow 400XS blood collection devices that improve the efficiency of blood, plasma, platelet collections in qualified donors.
"Part of the Grossmont Healthcare District’s
mission is to support nonprofits focused on
improving the health and well-being of residents in East San Diego County. We are proud to continue the lifesaving work of San Diego Blood Bank with the purchase of 10 new HemoFlow 400XS devices. These devices have been used in dozens of mobile blood drives across East County this year, and we are honored to have contributed to this important initiative."
25 New Trima Accel® Automated
Blood Collection Systems
IMPACT: Blood collection efficiency & component maximization
Financial donors funded 25 new Trima Systems for use at our donation locations and on our bloodmobiles. Trima Systems enable us to collect a higher volume of plasma, platelets, and red blood cells to distribute to hospital partners.
SPECIAL THANKS TO SDBB'S TOP FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS
$100,000 & Above |
||
The Conrad Prebys Foundation |
The County of San Diego |
Walter J & Betty C. Zable Foundation |
$25,000 - $49,999 |
||
Grossmont Healthcare District |
Rest Haven Children’s |
San Diego |
$10,000 - $24,999 |
||
Geoffrey Bailey |
Hervey Family Fund at San Diego Foundation |
The Morrison and |
Barona Resort & Casino |
Steven & Sally Rogers |
Windermere Home and Estates Foundation |
Theodore Barrow |
San Diego Gas & Electric |
Ygrene Energy Fund, Inc. |
Charles Cohler |
Sycuan Casino Resort |
|
$2,500 - $9,999 |
||
Maria Aisporna |
John Howard |
Janet Roemer |
Lauren Lee Beaudry |
David & Janice Lowenberg |
San Diego County Employees’ |
David Dickson |
Mandell Weiss |
Karen J. Stephen |
Elliot & Diane Feuerstein |
Peter Michael |
The Ruth Lane |
First 5 San Diego |
Moneytree, Inc. |
James & Kathryn Whistler |
GEICO |
Nordson Corporation |
Jerome & Jo Lynn Winter |
Chula Vista Terra Nova Manager Tracey, shows off a plaque from the Chula Vista Chamber at the Grand Opening Ceremony.
Chula Vista Terra Nova Manager Tracey, shows off a plaque from the Chula Vista Chamber at the Grand Opening Ceremony.
PRECISION BLOOD
San Diego Blood Bank is at the Center of Innovation Beyond the Essential Service of Blood Banking
San Diego Blood Bank is evolving to solve a critical issue. Our mission is to bring diversity to the donor pool to ensure patients of all backgrounds have access to the most compatible blood matches.
In 2019, an estimated 294 out of every 100,000 blood transfusions in the United States resulted in an adverse reaction that required diagnostic or therapeutic intervention[1]. The ability to more accurately match blood to the patients that need it is critical for positive health outcomes.
Patients in greatest need include cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, organ and bone marrow transplant patients, and patients with blood disorders (like sickle cell disease or thalassemia) or other conditions requiring frequent transfusions throughout their life.
Precision Blood is the future of blood transfusion therapy
San Diego Blood Bank’s Precision Blood process uses an innovative approach that brings greater precision to transfusion medicine through state-of-the-art genotyping technology.
SDBB is connecting with blood donors across Southern California to increase blood collection for patients, and to expand our inventory of rare blood that helps us more accurately match blood types in donors and recipients. This will ensure transfusion-dependent patients receive the closest match possible, resulting in fewer complications or immune reactions and better patient outcomes.
"Kaiser-Permanente is very pleased with San Diego Blood Bank’s Precision Blood Program and sees much benefit to our patients in the expansion of Precision Blood practices. Due to this technology at SDBB, rapid turnaround time, and relatively low cost associated,
we have implemented a policy to genotype all sickle cell disease and thalassemia children and provide them with genotype compatible blood as we believe there is tremendous return in the reduction in morbidity and mortality over the patient’s life span."
We are grateful to The Conrad Prebys Foundation for their $725,825 grant in support of our Precision Blood program.
The Conrad Prebys Foundation's generous financial gift has been instrumental in our ability to increase testing efficiency, thereby improving SDBB’s ability to meet the needs of blood recipients who require multiple blood transfusions, and to expedite rare blood unit deliveries to our hospital partners.
With The Conrad Prebys Foundation’s partnership and the support of blood and financial donors, San Diego Blood Bank saves and advances the health of thousands of patients every year.
Partner with San Diego Blood Bank
We invite you to partner with San Diego Blood Bank to help bring greater precision to transfusion medicine. Together, we can improve patient care, save more lives, and give hope to our community.
CONNECT TO LIFE
Become a Financial Partner
Generous financial donors support San Diego Blood Bank's greatest needs for lifesaving blood services such as blood collection supplies and equipment, and funds ground-breaking research.
Annual Giving Levels
Leadership Circle
Fund vital blood collection resources & fuel innovative medical research with a financial gift of $1,000 or more.
Visionary Circle
Give monthly to provide steady support throughout the year. A $25 monthly gift funds 5 plasma kits for trauma patients.
Friends of SDBB
Sustain our mission with a financial gift up to $999. A $60 one-time gift helps fund supplies to collect one pint of blood.
A message from a financial supporter...
"I feel great knowing that my financial contributions will impact lives in the years to come through the mission of San Diego Blood Bank, and I am so very happy to support as a financial donor!"
Annual Giving Benefits
Benefits of membership vary by level and may include exclusive experiences and special recognition such as behind-the-scenes tours of San Diego Blood Bank's labs and headquarters, invitations to special events, and acknowledgement on digital displays in our fixed site donor centers.
For more information about philanthropy and ways to give, contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Financial Development at cclector@sdbb.org | (619) 400-8214
Make a financial gift today
CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP
Align your organization with SDBB’s mission to save lives and advance health. With financial support from local companies, SDBB can host more than 1,700 annual blood drives in the community. A financial gift to SDBB is a commitment to the health of people in our region.
Partner with SDBB to provide lifesaving treatments to people with rare and life-threatening blood disorders like Sevey (pictured), who has a severe form of anemia.
She received five blood transfusions in utero and will require blood every two weeks for the rest of her life. Today, she is thriving thanks to blood and financial donors.
Advance San Diego Blood Bank’s critical healthcare role in our community and fuel collaborations with medical researchers and local hospitals through Precision Blood genotyping that helps ensure better blood matches and better health outcomes for patients like Sevey.
For more information about Corporate Sponsorship, contact Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Financial Development at cclector@sdbb.org | (619) 400-8214
Resources
Ways to Get Involved
Donate Blood
Make a Financial Gift
Sign Up to Volunteer
Join All of Us Research Program
Contact Us
Cherryl Castro-Lector, Director of Development
cclector@sdbb.org | (619) 400-8214
Downloads
Report Downloads
Impact Report FY 2021-22 (PDF, 1,852 KB)
Previous Reports
Impact Report FY 2020-21
Impact Report FY 2019-20
Impact Report FY 2018-19
Sources: [1]. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1204113/blood-transfusion-associated-adverse-reactions-rate-us-by-type
San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization also operating as Southern California Blood Bank (So Cal Blood Bank). The Blood Bank serves hospitals throughout Southern California with more than 150,000 units of blood each year. San Diego Blood Bank’s mission is to connect diverse communities to save and improve lives through blood and biotherapies. Dedicated to advancing health and wellness through medical innovation, SDBB has provided an essential service since 1950. SanDiegoBloodBank.org | Tax ID# 95-1696732 | CFC# 26569
Mailing Address: San Diego Blood Bank | 3636 Gateway Center Avenue, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92102
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