Blood Centers of the Pacific

Blood Centers of the Pacific (BCP) was a prominent non-profit community blood center headquartered in San Francisco, California, serving the Northern California region. Founded in 1941 as the Irwin Memorial Blood Bank, it held the distinction of being the first community blood bank in the United States. The organization provided vital blood products and transfusion services to approximately 50 hospitals, managing the collection, testing, and distribution of red cells, platelets, and plasma. In 2018, BCP fully integrated into its parent organization, Blood Systems, and was rebranded under the unified national name, Vitalant. Today, its legacy continues through Vitalant's extensive network of donation centers and clinical laboratory services.