San Diego’s longtime blood supplier is gearing up for a major change. San Diego Blood Bank announced today that it has entered an agreement to merge with Vitalant, a national nonprofit blood services organization, in a deal expected to take effect this summer. The local nonprofit would become a subsidiary of Vitalant, remain locally led during the transition, and potentially see shifts in how blood and biotherapies are collected and distributed across Southern California.
The two nonprofits said they signed the agreement and expect the merger to be finalized this summer, pending regulatory review, according to the Times of San Diego. Once complete, San Diego Blood Bank will operate as a Vitalant subsidiary, and a transition board of directors will be formed. Current CEO Douglas Morton is expected to stay in his role during the transition period.
"This partnership brings together the national reach and resources of Vitalant with San Diego Blood Bank’s deep regional expertise and trusted community relationships," Morton said in a statement to Times of San Diego. Vitalant CEO David R. Green said the organization's plan to tap Vitalant’s national capabilities to expand services for donors, physicians, and patients across the region.
About Vitalant
Vitalant is a large nonprofit blood and biotherapies organization with a broad national presence and an expanding research agenda, according to AABB. The organization operates roughly 115 donation centers, stages tens of thousands of donation events each year, and supplies hospitals in many states. Leaders say that kind of scale and laboratory capacity is a key reason the two nonprofits decided to combine resources.
San Diego Blood Bank’s local footprint
San Diego Blood Bank traces its roots to 1950 and marked its 75th anniversary in 2025. The organization reports collecting more than 5.5 million pints of blood since its founding and distributing tens of thousands of blood products annually to hospitals across Southern California. In recent years it has expanded donor sites and research partnerships, including opening a new Clairemont Mesa donor center in early 2025. Those community ties were cited by leaders as central to both boards’ support for the merger, according to San Diego Blood Bank.
Why consolidation matters now
Blood centers across the country have been warning of post-holiday shortages, with regional reporting describing steep drops in donations that can force hospitals to delay some procedures or juggle limited supplies. Recent coverage has highlighted urgent appeals in other areas as winter storms and seasonal illness keep regular donors at home, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Closer to home, San Diego Blood Bank joined the National Blood Testing Cooperative in 2024 to share testing resources and cut costs, a move officials frame as part of a broader trend toward collaboration among blood centers. Details from the NBTC describe that partnership as one way regional providers are trying to keep services stable despite financial and supply pressures.
What donors should know
For now, nothing changes for donors on the ground. There have been no immediate announcements of adjustments to donation schedules or local centers tied to the merger, and donors can continue to use the existing online appointment system and neighborhood donor sites. For appointment information, donor eligibility details, and location listings, donors are directed to the San Diego Blood Bank website.
Both organizations say the merger is intended to strengthen the region’s blood supply and expand laboratory and biotherapies capabilities while keeping donor services accessible at the local level. The agreement still needs regulatory approval and, barring delays, is expected to close this summer.
