Two Coachella Valley Blood Suppliers Join Forces
On Tuesday, officials at two competing blood providers in Coachella Valley -- Community Blood Bank in Rancho Mirage and LifeStream, which serves Riverside and San Bernardino counties -- announced that the two groups will partner in the spring to form a new, single, not-for-profit blood supplier. The two groups will maintain equal ownership of the new entity, which will be called Desert Blood Services. However, LifeStream will oversee Desert Blood Services' daily operations and retain its identity outside of the valley. Officials said the groups' decision to join forces is the result of rising costs and other challenges facing the blood and health care industries.
- "Competitors LifeStream, Community Blood Bank Form Own Lifeline With Merger" (Honore, Palm Springs Desert Sun, 1/4).