3 hospitals changing their blood supplier

In a move aimed at boosting security during times of trauma or disaster, three hospitals in the Palouse will switch to the Inland Northwest Blood Center as their sole supplier of blood and related products, officials said.

Starting April 1, hospitals in Colfax, Pullman and Moscow will receive about 1,500 units of blood a year from the Spokane center, instead of those in Boise or Salt Lake City, Utah. The hospitals are Whitman Hospital and Medical Center in Colfax, Pullman Regional Hospital and Gritman Medical Center in Moscow.

The Spokane blood center will spend about $250,000 over two years to hire five new employees and establish a blood collection center at one of the hospitals, said Judy Young, executive director.

The move makes blood supplies more stable, said Scott Adams, chief executive at Pullman Regional.

“The blood was available here, but it wasn’t as abundant or as readily available,” he said.

The three hospitals have treated trauma accidents where large supplies of blood were needed quickly. While the patients were treated well, it created tense moments for medical staff, Adams said.

Recent emphasis on preparing for natural or man-made disasters, also emphasized the need for a closer, more stable supply, officials said.

The blood center provides blood and services to more than 30 hospitals and medical centers in Eastern Washington and North Idaho.