Cost containment through a hospital-based blood donor center.

Hospitals must find ways to decrease costs in the face of decreasing reimbursements. The cost of blood products and special testing services provided by a regional blood center may be a source of excessive expense. Our facility has had its own blood donor program since June of 1950 and has achieved significant cost savings by collecting and processing blood for the facility rather than buying it from an outside agency. This article describes the benefits and disadvantages of having a hospital-based blood donor program. Benefits include cost savings, safety, better customer service for patients, meeting special physician needs, and enhanced community relations. Disadvantages include difficulty in meeting blood inventory and special testing needs, extra inspections by the Food and Drug Administration, and start-up costs. With proper research, planning, and management, a hospital-based blood donor program can be effective in containing costs in a laboratory.