History of Lane Memorial Blood Bank

In the beginning, every hospital in Lane County had its own system for drawing and processing blood for patients who needed it. These systems worked well for a time but it was difficult to assure blood would be available when it was required without wasting unused units. To help solve these problems and to keep pace with increasing use of blood and blood products in modern medical and surgical care, Lane Memorial Blood Bank was established in 1961.

The blood bank was incorporated in the State of Oregon as a not-for-profit corporation under sponsorship of the Lane County Medical Society. LMBB policies are set by a volunteer Board of Directors whose members represent communities throughout Lane County. This local control provides accountability to the communities that LMBB serves.

LMBB is licensed by the US Food & Drug Administration and undergoes an annual FDA inspection to ensure compliance. It is a member of America's Blood Centers, a nationwide organization of 76 non-profit community blood banks, and is accredited by the AABB (formerly American Association of Blood Banks). The blood bank also participates in the National Blood Exchange.

Lane Memorial Blood Bank's Annual Report is available in the Publications section.