(May 7, 2007) ATLANTA - In a move designed to position it to meet the growing blood needs of metro Atlanta and the more than 130 hospitals it serves statewide, the American Red Cross Blood Services Southern Region recently moved into a 185,000 square feet, state-of-the-art blood processing center in the New Manchester community of Douglasville, just outside the city limits.
From its old headquarters on Monroe Drive, Atlanta, the Red Cross had been processing red cells, platelets and other blood components for transfusion into trauma victims and patients with various b
lood disorders and chronic illnesses such as cancer, since the early 1970’s. Millions of these lifesaving components were collected and distributed from that 60,000 sq. ft. facility.
A population growing in size and diversity as well as advances in medical treatment options have increased the number of procedures that involve transfusions. The need for more blood and the ability to process and distribute a greater volume of blood caused the Red Cross to build a facility capable of helping it meet the present and future needs of hospital patients in this region.
The Red Cross began transitioning its staff and operations to its new headquarters at the start of April and is now fully operational from the center located at 9851 Commerce Way, Douglasville. The old processing center is soon to be demolished, replaced by an apartment complex now being planned by Gables Residential, who purchased the property in 2006.
A donor center, long a feature of the old headquarters, remains in Midtown. It is located just up the hill from the site of the old donor center, on the ground level of the Red Cross’ Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter building.
