Our Roots Are Here in the Central Valley.
Our Mission is Clear:
The Central California Blood Center is committed to saving lives and improving patient care by providing a safe and abundant blood supply for the patients and families in the communities we serve. We provide blood and services to patients who receive care at over 20 hospitals and their network of facilities in Fresno, Tulare, Madera, Kings, and Mariposa Counties.
Local. Independent.
Nationally Connected.
The Central California Blood Center is governed by the Fresno Madera Medical Society (FMMS). FMMS founded the Central California Blood Bank in 1954. The FMMS retains a supportive role in CCBC’s governance as well as its overall mission. The CCBC bylaws state that a majority of the Directors (Board members) must be FMMS physicians. This has been a source of strength for CCBC, helping to assure competent medical and scientific oversight of local community blood banking.
At the Central California Blood Center, we take pride in being a local and independent organization, deeply rooted in our community. But our impact extends far beyond our region’s borders.
Read More
The nation’s blood centers back each other up in times of shortages or regional blood emergencies, through programs known as “resource sharing”. CCBC is an equity owner in the esteemed Blood Centers of America (BCA), the largest blood supply network in the United States. The independent blood centers of BCA collaborate, pool resources, expertise, and knowledge to ensure a steady and reliable blood supply for every corner of the country. This partnership allows us to draw upon the collective strength of like-minded organizations, working together to address the challenges and opportunities in the field of blood banking.
But our commitment to excellence doesn’t stop there. The Central California Blood Center is also a proud member of America’s Blood Centers (ABC), an influential network dedicated to amplifying and advancing the contributions of community blood centers like ours. Through ABC, we contribute to enhancing the well-being of individuals, communities, and healthcare systems nationwide. America’s Blood Centers represents CCBC’s interests and blood advocacy issues in Washington DC. CCBC is also a founding member of the Blood Centers of California which represents the interests of blood banks, blood donations and blood safety in the State of California.
Join us in our mission to make a lasting impact on the nation’s blood supply. Together, life flows from here.
Serving the Central Valley Since 1954.
After World War II, doctors returning to the Central Valley had experience in using blood to treat injuries. When local hospitals couldn’t fulfill the growing need, a committee was formed by the Fresno County Medical Society (now known as the Fresno Madera Medical Society) to find a solution.
In 1949, the Valley Blood Bank opened on N. Van Ness Avenue. Then, in 1953 the California Medical Association’s Blood Bank Commission urged the establishment of a community-shared, not-for-profit blood bank.
The Central California Blood Bank (CCBB) opened in 1954 in a remodeled home on Amador Street. The staff included two registered nurses, two laboratory technicians, and a recording secretary.
The Blood Bank moved to First and Shields in 1971. In 1995 the name was changed to the Central California Blood Center (CCBC).
In 1983 the Visalia Donor Center was opened on Mooney Boulevard. In the summer of 2019, the Visalia Donor Center moved down the street and now resides at the corner of Mooney and Caldwell in Visalia.
In 2000, the CCBC opened a new site in North Fresno at Cedar and Nees. The North Fresno Donor Center is now located at the corner of Champlain & Perrin.
The CCBC once again expanded its operations, this time to better serve Central Fresno. It opened the doors of its Fresno Donor Center in 2009.
The Jenny Eller Donor Center, located at Herndon and Blythe opened in 2009.
In 2015, the Central California Blood Center became the first blood center in California to implement the safer and more effective, FDA-licensed INTERCEPT pathogen reduction method by Cerus Corporation.
In 2020, the CCBC becomes the first blood center in the United States to produce pathogen-reduced plasma from patients who have successfully recovered from the Coronavirus in order to provide local and national hospitals with pathogen-reduced, convalescent plasma for patients currently battling the life-threatening COVID 19 virus.
Partnership with Air Methods/Life Sky announced in 2021. In doing so, the Central California Blood Center’s emergency pack of vital blood products will help flight paramedics and flight nurses—who staff each aircraft—administer blood transfusions during the golden hour of patient care in trauma situations. This results in an increase in survival rates after trauma accidents.
The CCBC opened the Clovis Donor Center on April 20, 2022. This location expands access to donors living in Clovis and East Fresno.
Today, the Central California Blood Center (CCBC) remains the leading source of blood products for the Valley’s providers. Serving a population base of over 1.9 million people, the CCBC must collect between 5,000 and 6,000 pints of blood must be collected each month, to meet the Central Valley’s needs. And, to meet these goals we need you.
