ROCK RIVER VALLEY BLOOD CENTER
Rockford, IL
Website | Phone: (815) 965-8751
Mission
The Rock River Valley Blood Center (RRVBC), in partnership with our communities, is dedicated to providing, safe, high-value blood products and services to patients in need. RRVBC’s vital role involves collecting over 800 units of blood each week to fulfill the demands of our fourteen area hospitals. We depend on volunteer donors from Rock and Walworth counties in Wisconsin, and donors from Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Stephenson, Ogle, Lee, and Carroll counties in Illinois. We are the sole supplier of crucial blood products to the Mercyhealth hospitals in Janesville and Walworth County as well as Beloit Health Systems and Edgerton Community Hospital.
Community Resources
We host mobile blood drives throughout Walworth and Rock counties to ensure an adequate supply of local blood products to these hospitals. RRVBC’s vital role involves collecting over 800 units of blood each week to fulfill the demands of our fourteen area hospitals. In 2024, the hospitals that we service in Southern Wisconsin, including Mercyhealth Hospital in Walworth County, utilized 4,144 blood products to save the lives of patients in need!
Most Urgent Need
We are currently facing a critical blood shortage, and we need to drastically increase donations to maintain an adequate blood supply for patients across our service area, including Walworth County. RRVBC has experienced reduced donations from donors over the past few months, causing the strain.
One way to increase donations is by offering a special incentive to our donors. In the coming months, we plan to begin offering a free A1C test to each person who completes a successful donation. Donors will be able to view their results on their online donor portal and see if they are at risk for developing diabetes. This free test will have two major outcomes. First, it will increase blood donations, as additional tests offered in the past helped greatly increase collections. Second, donors will have a much more economical way to see if they are at risk for developing diabetes. This test will provide donors with the data they need to make decisions to improve their health and lower their risk of developing diabetes.
