Four Laid Off From Blood Donation Center

BENTONVILLE — Four full-time employees have been laid off from a Springdale office of the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, it was announced Friday.

The layoffs come as blood transfusions at the 38 area hospitals served by the blood center have fallen by 15 percent from the previous year, according to a news release.

The blood center collects blood at donor centers in Springfield, Mo., Joplin, Mo., Springdale and Bentonville. The Springdale location serves as a satellite office for the center, said Chris Pilgrim, marketing manager.

Overall, 39 people were laid off, including 27 full-time members. The center will have about 180 employees after the layoffs, the Associated Press reported.

“This was a move toward right sizing,” Pilgrim said. “When long-term transfusions go down, we’ve got to budget for that.”

The declines are part of a nationwide trend as medical centers embrace new technology and establish new transfusion protocols, according to the center.

“The latest blood usage trends warrant a modification in our budget and, unfortunately, our staffing levels. We looked at all possible ways to avoid a reduction in that regard, but some cuts were unavoidable,” said Don Thomson, executive director.

Pilgrim said the center still needs blood donations to meet the needs of area hospitals. More than 5,000 blood transfusions take place each month at the hospitals served by the blood center, he said.

“Transfusions are down, but we still need blood,” he said.

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