Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center reveals new bloodmobile

OWENSBORO, Ky. (WFIE) – Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center unveiled a new bloodmobile Tuesday.

Officials say it’s going to help them keep local hospitals supplied amid a national blood shortage.

The center purchased the new truck, in large part, with funds from Impact 100 and Owensboro Health.

The truck will travel throughout 11 counties in western Kentucky to provide blood for five hospitals.

Vicki Ellis, the blood center’s Director of communications and development, says more than half of their donations are collected aboard their other blood mobile.

Ellis says the center’s only bloodmobile is already 17 years old.

”We have that one bloodmobile covering 11 counties in western Kentucky, anywhere from Hopkinsville to Marion to Crittenden County, to Breckenridge County, Ohio Hancock, Daviess and McLean,” said Ellis. “So, we were really putting the miles on the other one, and anytime if it failed, we would be crippled.”

In 2022, Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center provided Owensboro Health almost 7,000 units of blood.

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