Rhode Island Blood Center will celebrate the grand opening of its first Massachusetts donor center at 10 a.m. on Aug. 11 at 573-4 G.A.R. Highway in Swansea, marking a major milestone for the organization and expanding blood donation access for local residents.

The opening in the RK Swansea Place plaza follows a 2024 change in Massachusetts law that allows FDA-registered blood establishments to collect blood in the state, according to a community announcement. While Rhode Island Blood Center has supplied nearly 20,000 blood products each year to more than 40 Massachusetts hospitals, it previously could not independently operate donor centers in Massachusetts.

The new Swansea Donor Center will give residents another convenient place to donate blood while helping strengthen the regional blood supply and support patients at hospitals throughout Massachusetts and New England.

The center opens as blood providers continue to face supply challenges nationwide. Rhode Island Blood Center declared a blood emergency last month after local inventory levels fell to their lowest point since the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials say the new facility will help attract more donors and build a more reliable blood supply for the region.

See more at heraldnews.com.