Donating blood is one of those easy feel-good charitable things to do, and it has the added bonus of earning the donor free cookies and a glass of OJ.
The Monterey Peninsula has more than enough donors—and such a radically declining demand for donated blood that Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula announced plans to shutter its blood center, which opened in 1972, this fall.
CHOMP's usage of blood has declined by 47 percent since peaking in 2009.
That decrease is representative of a national that's good news for patients—less invasive surgical procedures have reduced the size and number of transfusions, and medical advances allow patients to effectively donate to themselves with better blood collection and storage.
It's bad news for staff; the closure means 10 layoffs (four nurses, three lab scientists, two lab tech and one administrative assistant). Those employees will have preferential rehire status for other jobs at CHOMP, and will also get job placement support. They'll also receive severance pay and benefits, per CHOMP's usual policy.
Nonprofit UBS will take over as the blood bank for CHOMP, and will conduct occasional local drives.
The last day to donate to CHOMP directly will be Oct. 16.
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