New York Blood Center Opens New Dutchess County Donor Center

FISHKILL, NY — The New York Blood Center recently held the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art donor center in Fishkill.

The organization has been in Dutchess County for 60 years, the last 40 of which was spent in facilities in East Fishkill donated by IBM.

The new location is 584 Route 9 in Fishkill, near the interchange with Interstate 84, Walmart Supercenter and medical offices in Westage Center, not to mention Red Line Diner and Cracker Barrel.

Since its inception, the center has generated more than 200,000 lifesaving blood and platelet donations for the community’s blood supply.

Andrea Cefarelli, senior vice president at New York Blood Center, told Patch that the new location in Fishkill will make donating blood more easily accessible for Dutchess County residents.

“NYBC is committed to investing in additional ideally located donor centers,” she said, “which is very important to rebuilding the region’s blood supply.”

Cefarelli said, during the COVID-19 pandemic, donor centers became the only location for the blood center to collect blood, as many school, corporate and community blood drives were canceled because of safety restrictions.

“Remote and blended work schedules have resulted in fewer blood drives,” she said, “and there has been a 50 percent decrease in youth and first-time blood donors.”

The increase in blood donations collected at this new donor center will help the New York Blood Center to provide more efficient service to hospitals in Dutchess County, the Hudson Valley and the tri-state area.

Blood donors can walk in at the donor center during the hours of operation, but appointments are appreciated.

To make an appointment at the Fishkill Donor Center click here.