Officials at Miller-Keystone Blood Center have announced that effective Feb. 1, the blood center will serve as the primary blood supplier to Geisinger. In this capacity, Miller-Keystone, in collaboration with Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank and New York Blood Center, will be responsible for the provision of blood products and services to the hospital and residents of the Northeast Pennsylvania region served by Geisinger.

“As a health system that takes care of our area’s most urgent and life-threatening cases, it’s important to partner with highly regarded suppliers to deliver safe, reliable blood products when the community needs them most,” said Amanda Haynes, D.O., an anatomic and clinical pathologist at Geisinger. “When you donate blood, you are possibly helping a neighbor, friend or family member.”

“Miller-Keystone Blood Center is privileged to serve for the transfusion needs of the Geisinger health system,” says Michael McShane, Senior Director of Recruitment, Development and Marketing. “The Blood Center looks forward to working with Geisinger staff and organizations throughout the region to ensure a safe, stable and continuous blood supply for the community. We will be contacting area schools, churches, businesses and community organizations, in anticipation of establishing donor groups for the purpose of conducting blood drives either on-site, or on one of our self-contained bloodmobile vehicles.”

McShane confirms that Miller-Keystone has already started to conduct blood drives in communities that Geisinger serves, and has a firm commitment to open a donor center in Pittston in the coming months. This fixed site location will provide donors in the surrounding communities with the opportunity to donate whole blood, automated red cells and platelets.

For more information or to arrange for a blood drive at your location, contact Kathy Rowinski at 570-449-5586 or krowinski@GIVEaPINT.org.