Our Mission

Our Values

Safety

We are committed to providing a safe work environment for all employees, maintaining the safety of our blood products and creating a safe donation experience for the thousands of individuals who give the gift of life each year. As a result of upholding these high standards, Hawaii’s blood supply is safer than ever before.

Regulatory Compliance

We adhere to all polices, procedures, regulations and guidelines as outlined by the Food and Drug Administration, the American Association of Blood Banks, the State Department of Health and other agencies as required. In addition, all policies are reviewed by a medical committee composed of selected trustees and physicians from our community. We rely on employees to perform their job duties with consistency in line with standard operating procedures.

Efficiency

We strive to maximize our time and resources to supply Hawaii’s hospitals with an adequate supply of safe blood products. Resourceful employees and efficient operations enable us to keep the blood processing costs to a minimum, which also benefits Hawaii’s patients.

Customer Service

We do our best to provide a pleasant, rewarding experience to those we work with – blood donors and medical professionals throughout the state. We show appreciation to our volunteer donors for all they do to help save lives. We work cooperatively with hospital transfusion specialists sharing expertise on medical issues, managing blood inventory and focusing on our partnership to help Hawaii’s patients.

Hawaii’s Community Blood Center

The Blood Bank of Hawaii is a non-profit organization that provides lifesaving blood products to 11 civilian hospitals on Oahu and eight civilian hospitals on the neighbor islands. Typical uses for the blood include surgical procedures, treatment of accident victims, ulcers, anemia, delivery for mother and baby, and cancer.

Blood is collected at two Blood Bank of Hawaii fixed sites – The Dillingham Donor Center and the Downtown Donor Center on Queen Street. The Blood Bank of Hawaii is also on the move daily, setting up mobile collection sites within companies, organizations and community centers. Two bloodmobiles also travel to communities on Oahu.

BBH employs more than 100 qualified professionals, including a medical director, nursing staff and lab technicians, who recruit volunteer donors, collect blood, prepare components and distribute blood products.

Saving Lives For Over 65 Years

The Blood Bank of Hawaii opened its doors on February 1941 on the grounds of what is now The Queen's Medical Center. Known then as the Honolulu Blood-Plasma Bank, the blood bank served as a wartime agency under the Office of Civilian Defense, returning to its non-profit civilian status in 1943. Honolulu Blood-Plasma Bank officially changed its name to the Blood Bank of Hawaii in 1946.

In the early years, blood was collected in glass bottles, hemoglobin checks were done via the earlobe, and a single van went around the island to collect blood. Services were expanded to included neighbor island blood drives and Hawaii's unique ethnic population became nationally recognized as a source for many types of rare blood.

Today, state-of-the-art blood bags are used for collections, adequate iron levels are verified through technology, and blood is collected at two fixed sites, along with two bloodmobiles that travel to Oahu's neighborhoods to provide convenience for donors. The Blood Bank of Hawaii adheres to the highest standards of safety and quality and continues its long commitment to providing a safe and adequate blood supply for Hawaii's patients.

The Blood Bank of Hawaii is accredited by the AABB and is a member of America’s Blood Centers (ABC), the nation’s largest network of community-based blood programs. ABC members are licensed and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.