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Inland Northwest Blood Center undergoing name change to Vitalant

Kendra Jones, a donor care specialist, on right, speaks with Virginia Langley as she donates plasma and platelets, Monday, Sept. 24,, 2018, at the newly named Vitalant. Blood Systems announced is renaming all 10 of its blood centers - including Inland Northwest Blood Center - to Vitalant in an effort to expand their national presence. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
By Amy Edelen amye@spokesman.com(509) 459-5581

The Inland Northwest Blood Center announced Monday it’s undergoing a name change to Vitalant in a rebranding effort by parent company Blood Systems, Inc. to unite its 10 blood centers, research institute and laboratory.

Scottsdale, Arizona-based Vitalant, is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit blood transfusion organizations. The organization, which receives more than 1.8 million donations annually, includes a network of more than 127 donation centers and provides blood to patients across 40 states.

The Inland Northwest Blood Center was founded in 1945 as the Spokane Community Blood Bank. It became the Inland Northwest Blood Center in 1992. The blood center has been affiliated with Blood Systems, Inc. for more than a decade and merged with the organization in 2016.

“Inland Northwest Blood Center has a 73-year history where we have grown to be the sole blood provider to more than 35 hospitals across the Inland Northwest,” said Jeff Bryant, president of Vitalant operations in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Washington. “Our mission of providing lifesaving blood products and services will not change, and we remain committed to serving the community with the same people, purpose and passion you have come to expect.”

By unifying the organization’s 10 centers under one name, it ensures a centralized experience across all blood centers and mobile blood drives, said Tesia Hummer, spokeswoman for Vitalant.

“We are still the same people that the community has come to know and love, we’re just doing it with a new name,” Hummer said.

The 10 donation center brands under Vitalant are Blood Centers of the Pacific, BloodSource, Bonfils Blood Center, Central Blood Bank, Community Blood Services, Inland Northwest Blood Center, Lifeblood, LifeShare, LifeSource and United Blood Services.

Vitalant supports more than 1,000 hospitals nationwide, as well as offering transfusion services, medical consulting, education and research to its hospital partners. About 5,000 donations are needed every day to meet the needs of people throughout the country, according to the organization.

Vitalant has donation centers in downtown Spokane, North Spokane, Spokane Valley, Coeur d’Alene, Moses Lake and Lewiston, with mobile blood drives held throughout the region.

“Vitalant’s purpose is to help people realize their life-transforming potential,” said Dr. Ron Waeckerlin, chairman of the board of trustees, in a release. “A name change does not change our commitment to the communities we serve in the Inland Northwest, or the people who count on us. In fact, our national presence allows us to effectively tap into our network to ensure donations reach the people who need it most.”