History

Delta Blood Bank’s history traces back to early 1947, when two young women died within a span of 48 hours because of a lack of locally available blood.  These tragedies led their doctors to implore the San Joaquin Medical Society to establish an area blood bank with the hopes of averting similar events in the future.  The Medical Society agreed, and in February 1948, the Stockton Regional Blood Center was established.

In July 1954, the organization separated from the American Red Cross and was renamed Delta Blood Bank.  In 1962, we hit the 100,000th donation mark.  Later that year, we also became a founding member of America’s Blood Centers – a national networking group of blood banks who collect nearly half of the nation’s blood supply through 450 non-profit donation sites across the country.

In 1983, we established the first of nine satellite donor centers to help serve communities throughout the region.  Through the donations made at our centers and numerous mobile drives, we are able to serve patients in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Calaveras, and El Dorado counties at 18 area hospitals.  Wherever there is a need, we are there.

Over the past five decades we have worked non-stop to become an integral part of every community we serve.  With collection sites and hospital partners throughout the San Joaquin Valley and in the foothills, we strive daily to ensure that our local blood supply remains stable and ready for any of our neighbors in need.