A Brief History

The New York-Penn Region was formed in July of 1994 from the consolidation of three Upstate New York Blood Services Regions. The new region became one of the five largest in the American Red Cross Biomedical Services system. But before that change occurred, Red Cross Blood Services had a long and progressive history in the Region.

1942

The American Red Cross in Rochester, New York, begins assuming expanded responsibility for recruiting local blood donors for hospitals, developing a program begun by Rochester resident and community leader Al Sigl.

1943

The Rochester Blood Donor Center expands its program throughout Central New York in response to the need of the United States armed forces. Several American Red Cross Chapters across Central New York cooperated in recruiting blood donors and sponsoring blood drives. The blood was taken back to a laboratory in Rochester to be separated into plasma for use at the front.

1947

Across the country, physicians returning from the war want to use the surgical techniques they perfected on the battlefields to help civilians. But those techniques require blood transfusions, and America has no organized civilian blood program. Hospitals in Rochester and Syracuse turn to the American Red Cross to continue the donor recruitment work they had done for the US Armed Forces for civilian use.

January 12, 1948

The first American Red Cross civilian blood program blood drive in the nation is held in Rochester, New York. This event begins the process of forming Blood Services Regions.

1949

The Syracuse Region holds its first blood drive and begins distributions to 35 hospitals.

1950

The US Defense Department issues orders for whole blood for servicemen in Korea. The Korean War helps expand community blood donation into businesses and industries.

1953

The Buffalo Region is formed.

1964

Plastic packs replace the glass bottles formerly used for blood donations.

1965

The Department of Defense asks the Red Cross to expand its blood program onto college campuses and into additional communities to secure enough blood to be made into plasma derivatives for possible future use in Vietnam.

1967

The Northeastern New York Region, headquartered in Albany, is formed to better serve the Northeastern counties in New York State. Cryoprecipitate production begins for use in treatment of hemophilia.

1973

The second infectious disease test, for Hepatitis B, is added.

1983

It becomes apparent that HIV is a threat to the community blood supply.

1985

The first test for HIV is added, beginning a pattern of adding new tests and upgrading tests that continues to the present.

1990

Responding to regulatory concerns expressed both by the US Food and Drug Administration and the New York State Department of Health, the Northeastern New York Region is merged with the Syracuse Region, forming the Greater Upstate New York Region.

May 22, 1994

The New York-Penn Region is formed from the former Buffalo, Greater Upstate New York and Rochester Regions. The new region=s objective is to continue Red Cross Blood Services to hospitals with greater efficiency and effectiveness. In its first year, the new Region loses $4 million and is forced to reduce its staffing levels by nearly one fifth. The Region continues to maintain five operating locations to serve donors, sponsors and hospitals as close to the community as possible.

December 10, 1997

The New York-Penn Region opens the first source plasma center in the American Red Cross system. Biomedical Headquarters taps the Region to be the sole supplier of group AB plasma for a new, virally inactivated product called Plas+SD. Within a year, the Region will have plasma centers in each of its four primary operating locations.

January 12, 1998

On the 50th anniversary of American Red Cross Blood Services, the New York-Penn Region announces plans to move to a new, state-of-the art facility near Rochester, uniting its management and manufacturing staff under one roof.

June 30, 1998

The New York-Penn Region ends its fourth year of consolidated operations with blood collections and finances both ahead of target. Blood donations have increased 21% since 1996.

March 1, 1999

American Red Cross Biomedical Services implements nucleic acid testing (NAT) to further ensure the safety of the voluntarily donated blood supply.

June 6, 1999

Acting American Red Cross President Steve Bullock headlines the group of dignitaries who break ground for the Region’s new facility at the corner of Bailey Road and John Street in West Henrietta.

June 30, 1999

The New York-Penn Region marks its second consecutive year of increased blood collections. A further increase is slated for the upcoming fiscal year.

March 2000

The New York-Penn Region relocates its headquarters to West Henrietta, New York.  The state-of-the-art facility is hailed as the "blood center of the future."