For the Reporter

MultiCare Health System and Bloodworks Northwest (formerly Puget Sound Blood Center) have joined together in a program to collect umbilical cord blood from new mothers in South Puget Sound who have just given birth.

Cord blood is an important source of stem cells that can be used in lifesaving cancer treatments and research.

“MultiCare is dedicated to providing comprehensive, high quality healthcare for the communities we serve” said Dr. Stephen Poore, medical director – Women’s Health MultiCare Health System. “That includes a commitment to leading clinical care in women’s health, childbirth and neonatal care, as well as successful treatment of cancer.”

“We welcome this opportunity to partner with healthcare providers at MultiCare to introduce a new on-site cord blood collection program,” said Dr. James P. AuBuchon, president and CEO of BloodworksNW. “Cord blood is an important source for stem cell transplants that can be used to treat patients with leukemia, lymphoma as well as some metabolic or immune system disorders.”

Cord blood collection is a painless procedure that does not interfere with the birth, or with mother-and-child bonding following delivery. There is no risk to either mother or baby, and no cost associated with the donation. Families interested in donating cord blood at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital have several options for enrollment, depending on the baby’s due date.

“This new partnership with MultiCare holds the promise of saving more lives, raising awareness about cord blood donation and increasing the availability of stem cells for transplantation,” AuBuchon noted.

“Introduction of this new program at MultiCare was a direct result of our dedication to improving our services and access to care for the communities of South Puget Sound,” Dr. Poore said. “This new partnership with BloodworksNW allows us to not only help others, but also helps advance medical science.”

Families interested in donating cord blood should speak to their healthcare providers or BloodworksNW Cord Blood Program staff about how to make arrangements.

General information about the cord blood program and enrollment can be found at: http://www.bloodworksnw.org/cordblood

BloodworksNW (then Puget Sound Blood Center) created the first umbilical cord blood program in the Pacific Northwest in 1997, and today has program partnerships with 12 hospitals in the Washington state and one hospital in Oregon. A partnership with the Hawaii Cord Blood Program encompassing six hospitals has resulted in the banking of many donations by Asian Pacific Islanders. These expanding hospital partnerships create the opportunity to meet the needs of even more patients requiring stem cell transplants.