Hoxworth Dedicates New Bloodmobile

With a sound smack from a bottle in a nod to traditional ship launchings, the new Bloodmobile for Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati, was dedicated Tuesday afternoon.

Hoxworth’s director, Ronald Sacher, MD, did the honors after an open house whose guests included donors who made the purchase of the $225,000 vehicle possible. It replaces a Bloodmobile that had been in service since 1982.

"It really is fabulous to have this new vehicle,” said Sacher, a professor of medicine and pathology at the UC College of Medicine. He noted that it will play a role in saving thousands of lives per year.

The new Bloodmobile has two interview rooms and five beds for donors. It will be put to use immediately, with a potential schedule of about 200 drives per year collecting from an estimated 4,000 donors of blood products.

Hoxworth Blood Center was founded in December 1938 by Paul Hoxworth, MD, and serves 30 hospitals in 17 counties in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana.