BloodworksNW has added a new partner to its Cord Blood Program: St. Joseph Medical Center, a part of CHI Franciscan Health. Through the partnership, mothers giving birth at the Tacoma hospital can donate blood from their umbilical cords to BloodworksNW, which can then be used in lifesaving treatments and research. The donation is voluntary, free of charge, painless, and risk-free for the mother and child. It does not interfere with crucial post-delivery mother-child bonding.
“We welcome this opportunity to partner with healthcare providers at CHI Franciscan to introduce a new, on-site cord blood collection program,” Dr. James P. AuBuchon, president and CEO of BloodworksNW said in a news release. “Cord blood is an important source for stem cell transplants that can be used to treat patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and some metabolic and immune system disorders.”
St. Joseph Medical Center is a new addition to a program that includes 11 hospitals in Washington State and Oregon, including EvergreenHealth, Madigan Army Medical Center, MultiCare Auburn Medical Center, MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital, MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital, UW Medicine/Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, Overlake Hospital, Swedish Ballard, Swedish First Hill and Swedish Issaquah.
The program started in 1997, marking the region’s first cord blood program. The donated blood is distributed around the world. Partnerships like this make for a healthier and stronger community on a vast scale, starting with a simple act of individual generosity.
Click here to read more in a news release, or click here to learn more about the program. (Tim Pfarr)
