EAST COUNTY DONOR CENTER OF THE SAN DIEGO BLOOD BANK

Mission Statement

Saving lives with quality blood services in partnership with the community.

In December 1950 the San Diego Blood Bank was established through the support of the San Diego County Medical Society. The foresight and dedication of founding fathers Dr. Thomas O'Connell and Dr. Frederick G. Hollander, led us to the San Diego Blood Bank of today, an organization known for excellence in its service to our community.

Prominent San Diegans have taken pride in the San Diego Blood Bank from its earliest beginnings. Mary Mulvey, R.N., Dr. Edward Levy, Jonas Salk, Allan Klauber, Neil Morgan, John Quimby, William Stephens, Sr., Legler Benbough, Dr. J.B. Askew, Mayor Harley Knox and Councilman Charles C. Dail are among those who supported it during its first two decades.

Monday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Friday - Saturday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Throughout the years, the San Diego Blood Bank has stayed in the forefront of transfusion medicine, added donor centers and bloodmobiles to cover all of the region's neighborhoods, diversified the blood bank's donor base and formed lasting partnerships with organizations from all over the San Diego community. The San Diego Chargers, NBC 7/39, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Barona Casino, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, Viejas Enterprises, the Leukemia Society, the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, Sempra Energy, Qualcomm, the Southern California Cartoonists Society, the San Diego Padres and numerous local radio stations lead the list of more than 1,000 longtime San Diego Blood Bank community partners who help make blood donations possible.

What You Should Know Prior to Donating

There is more than one type of blood donation. You have some choices about how to make a difference in life!

Whole blood donation - you donate a pint of whole blood which can be used either whole or separated into blood components. The actual donation takes about 15 minutes.

Apheresis donation - you donate a specific blood component, such as red blood cells. More red blood cells can be donated at one time by apheresis than by a whole blood donation. The apheresis donation is done using a machine which separates out the desired blood component. An apheresis donation may take up to an hour, so come ready to read or relax!

What You Should Do Prior To Donating

Make an appointment beforehand to minimize your wait time.

Drink plenty of fluids and have a good meal before you donate.

Review the donor requirements and verify that you are indeed eligible to donate at this time.

If you plan to donate on a bloodmobile, make sure to review the bloodmobile schedule to verify that it has not been cancelled or rescheduled.