Open House Welcomes Donors
to New Parsippany Donor Center

March 26, 2015

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PARSIPPANY, NJ - Community Blood Services held a Grand Opening at its new Parsippany Donor Center on Thursday, March 26.

Parsippany Mayor James Barbiero and Dr. Dennis Todd, president and CEO of Community Blood Services, participated in a ribbon cutting to kick off the Open House event held through the early evening hours. Also attending the event were platelet and blood donors, many of whom chose to make life-giving donations while at the donor center.

The Parsippany Donor Center is located at 1259 Route 46 East, Building #4, Suite 12. It was was previously operated by the East-Orange based Blood Center of New Jersey (BCNJ), which closed its doors last December. Beginning in February, Community Blood Services reopened the Parsippany center three days a week to accommodate platelet donors who previously had donated at the site, as well as blood and plasma donors.

Kathleen McKenna, vice president of operations at Community Blood Services, said Thursday�s Open House was scheduled to welcome back former donors and provide an opportunity for new donors to visit the center.

�Community Blood Services has been working hard to establish long-term relationships with BCNJ�s former donors and blood drive sponsors in support of the blood needs of New Jersey�s hospital patients,� McKenna said. �We hope to also attract new volunteer donors to the conveniently located center.�

The Parsippany center is open on Mondays, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Thursdays, 12 noon to 8 p.m.; and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donors are asked to call 201-251-3733 to schedule their appointments at the center or click here to schedule their donations online.

McKenna said platelets are needed to help patients in our community hospitals who have cancer and other blood disorders. She said platelets must constantly be replenished because they only have a five-day shelf life. The need for donors increased after Community Blood Services took on the additional responsibility of supplying blood and platelets to some of BCNJ�s hospital clients when BCNJ closed in December.

Community Blood Services provides blood and blood products to more than 30 hospitals, medical centers and trauma centers in New Jersey and New York, including Atlantic Health System Hospitals (NJ), HackensackUMC hospitals (NJ), St. Joseph�s Healthcare System in Paterson/Wayne (NJ), The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood (NJ), and Orange Regional Medical Center (NY).