Blood Center of New Jersey shutting down

PARSIPPANY – After years of serious financial setbacks, The Blood Center of New Jersey on Monday closed its donor center on Route 46 and its main facility in East Orange, according to official sources.

“As of today Community Blood Services will be accommodating Blood Center of New Jersey’s former volunteer blood and platelet donors as well as blood donor groups who run blood drives,” said Karen Ferriday, spokeswoman for the Montvale-based Community Blood Services.

Together, both nonprofits have provided the blood needed by patients in area hospitals for many years.

The Blood Center of New Jersey supplied more than 100,000 blood products annually to the hospitals and medical centers of New Jersey, according to its website.

According to a statement released by Community Blood on Monday, it has two primary goals for the transition — maintaining a stable blood supply for hospitals and establishing a foundation for a long-term relationship with The Blood Center’s donors and blood drive sponsors.

Coordinators for blood drives with The Blood Center of New Jersey can call Community Blood at 201-251-3703 to talk to an account manager about scheduling drives. Donors can call the same number to find out about locations and hours for blood drives.

According to its website, Community Blood has one location in Morris County — the Lincoln Park Donor Center, which collects whole blood, platelets, plasma and automated red cells.

The center, at 63 Beaverbrook Road, is open noon to 7:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, with the last appointment at 7:15 p.m. as well as 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, with the last appointment at 12:45 p.m. For more information, visit www.communitybloodservices.org/au_locations.php or call toll free at 866-228-1500.

The Blood Center of New Jersey opted for an assignment for the benefit of creditors instead of bankruptcy, according to the Community Blood statement. That move has allowed Community Blood to acquire selected assets— and receive transitional support —from The Blood Center .

Dr. Dennis Todd, Community Blood president and chief executive officer, said he anticipates hiring a number of frontline staffers from The Blood Center.

The number of people who worked at the Parsippany facility was not known Monday night.

“Blood drives and volunteer donors are needed more than ever at this time of year when there are typically shortages because there are fewer blood drives and donors are on vacation during the holidays,” Todd said.

“The winter season also brings with it inclement weather and colds and flu that can keep donors away,” he added.

More official information about the transition between the two blood organizations will be available in January.

The Blood Center and Community Blood are of the same vintage. Community Blood, which began operations in 1953, now supplies blood and blood products to more than 18 hospitals in New Jersey and New York.

The Blood Center started as the Essex County Blood Bank in 1947, according to its website. In 1975, it became the North Jersey Blood Center and, in 1996, The Blood Center of New Jersey.

Staff Writer Lorraine Ash: 973-428-6660; lash@njpressmedia.com