Research and Development Programs

The mission statement of most regional blood centers indicates their commitment to service and education; some also pursue research and/or development programs. A decision to concentrate on one or a combination of these aspects resides with a center’s senior management and the board of directors. Obviously, all blood centers provide service: collection, processing and distribution of blood and components, often in conjunction with therapeutic apheresis services, red cell reference laboratories and rare donor registries. Some centers enhance their service commitment by including educational functions: Teaching and training, etc. for professionals and the public.