Advanced Blood Transfusion Support
The Blood Bank at Corona Regional Medical Center provides advanced blood transfusion support for patients in the hospital and at our outpatient clinics. Staffed by licensed clinical laboratory scientists, the lab ensures a safe and rapidly available blood supply to meet the needs of all our patients. The lab operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with supervision by specially trained clinical laboratory scientists and physicians with extensive experience in blood transfusion therapy. We use the most advanced technical methods for compatibility testing and our blood supply is provided only by donor centers that are fully licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Autologous Blood Donations
The blood supply in the United States is subjected to such extensive testing that it is currently regarded as the safest blood transfusion system in the world. Some patients may, however, wish to participate in an autologous blood program, in which they donate their own blood days or weeks before a scheduled surgery. Then at the time of their surgical procedure, they can be transfused with their own blood, thus avoiding many, but not all, risks associated with transfusion.
Our Transfusion Service Lab has made arrangements with FDA-licensed blood centers in the region to enable our patients to participate in such autologous blood programs. Patients who wish to have their own blood available for a scheduled surgery should discuss this with their physicians who can counsel them as to whether they would be medically able to donate for themselves. If the patient and physician decide that autologous donations would be appropriate, the patient should contact the Donor Center at San Bernardino Blood Bank at 909-885-6503 or 951-687-2530 to obtain details on how to arrange such donations. It is very important that the patient contact Corona Regional's lab before making any arrangements with any donor facility or hospital to schedule their donations.
Directed Blood Donations
Sometimes patients who cannot donate blood for themselves would prefer to have a family member or close friend donate blood specifically for their use. The Blood Bank can help patients arrange these "directed" or "designated" donations. Again, patients should discuss this with their physicians, who must authorize such donations, and then call the Donor Center at San Bernardino Blood Bank at 909-885-6503 or 951-687-2530 for information and assistance.