About Us | President's Message

Puget Sound Blood Center’s 65th year has been one of great change, innovation and growth. I’ve been delighted to have led the Blood Center this year, my first as President and CEO, and have been privileged to work with some of the most dedicated people I’ve ever known, both volunteers and staff. It’s because of that dedication that we’ve moved forward and reached so many milestones this year, and why we are poised for even greater accomplishments tomorrow as we build on our strong foundation.

One of the biggest projects the Blood Center undertook in 2009 came to a very successful completion with the opening of our new, state-of-the-art facility in Renton. Known as Renton West, as it sits next to our initial Renton facility, this new facility has allowed us to implement the very latest technology to improve the safety of the blood we provide and affords room for us to grow as additional testing equipment is needed and new processing systems are developed.

Our research continued to be successful in multiple areas. Sherrill Slichter, MD, Director of Platelet Transfusion at Puget Sound Blood Center and Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington, was awarded the prestigious Presidential Award from the International Society for Blood Transfusion for her lifetime of achievements. Most recently, she led the first large-scale clinical trial to compare the effects of different platelet transfusion doses, finding that patients can be safely and effectively transfused with half the standard dose of platelets, minimizing the total amount of platelets transfused. Her findings will have a far reaching impact on the stability of platelet inventories around the world.

Thanks to the generosity of financial contributors, including The Seattle Foundation and the Byron W. and Alice L. Lockwood Foundation, we were able to purchase a new bloodmobile that will help service our community. The more blood donation opportunities we can provide our donors, the better we serve our patients.

We also established the Department of Quality and Organizational Effectiveness. This new office oversees LEAN initiatives as well as oversight of project management, quality and regulatory assurance, and customer service. The office of Quality and Organizational Effectiveness speaks to the Blood Center’s commitment to providing the most dependable and efficient service possible.
Underlying these efforts are our mission, vision and values that were restated and updated in the past year. You’ll find them on the following page and I’m sure you’ll agree they help define us and our roles in the community.

Looking into the future, there is much that needs to be done in terms of finding cures for blood disorders, and our research division continues to make strides daily. It is with great pride that I see this division growing and prospering. Who knows what they may discover tomorrow!
As for me, the 65th year of the Blood Center has been an exciting and challenging year all at the same time. I’d like to personally thank all of you for your support of the Blood Center. It’s because of you that we have the foundation to serve the community in all the ways we do. Tomorrow is full of possibilities!