The Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center has added a second bloodmobile to serve the community. The new mobile blood donation center was unveiled Tuesday morning at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital.
Having an additional bloodmobile will allow WKRBC to expand its mobile donation abilities. WKRBC fulfills the blood supply needs for Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center, and other medical facilities in Western Kentucky.
Owensboro Health is the main recipient of the WKRBC blood supply. In the 2022-23 fiscal year, the hospital used nearly 7,000 units of red blood cells, plasma, and platelets from WKRBC.
Currently, 55% of WKRBC blood donations are collected via blood drives held on the existing bloodmobile. The new bloodmobile is expected to serve WKRBC and this community for as long as 15 years to come.
“WKRBC was established in 1978 to supply blood to five western Kentucky hospitals, including then Mercy and Owensboro Daviess County Hospital. The center was born from a dire need for a dedicated source of voluntarily donated blood,” said Vicki Ellis, Director of Communications, Development and Recruitment at Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center. “Since then, we have grown to service 10 medical facilities, including three Air Evac helicopters; however, our commitment remains the same: to provide 100% of the lifesaving blood products and components required to maintain safe and adequate blood supplies in the region, specifically in our community, for our friends, our neighbors, and our families.”
In late 2020, Impact100 awarded a $100,000 grant to WKRBC, with the money to go toward the purchase of a second bloodmobile. Owensboro Health matched that grant in 2021. Donations from Walmart Giving and the Fraternal Order of Eagles 4168, plus an additional $20,000 from raffles held by WKRBC, covered the total $368,389 price tag.
“The generous investments of Impact100 and Owensboro Health helped to make the dream of operating two bloodmobiles and two fixed sites simultaneously a reality, therefore further promising a reliable blood supply and success in executing our mission,” Ellis said. “One hundred percent, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year — this is our promise.”
Dr. Jodi Krahwinkel, President of Impact100 Owensboro, said their organization “challenges our members to give big and challenges our nonprofits to dream big. WKRBC dreamt so big that our transformational grant was doubled by the generosity of Owensboro Health and this beautiful new vehicle is evidence of those dreams coming true. It is a testament to desire, determination, collaboration, and patience. We are thrilled with the results and can’t wait to see how it impacts our community going forward.”
