News Release March 01, 2007

Bonfils Blood Center Restructures Quality Division

For more information contact:
Jessica Maitland 303.363.2364
Julie Scott 303.361.2873

Bonfils Blood Center

DENVER (Mar. 1, 2007) – Bonfils Blood Center recently contracted with Reglera, a quality assurance / regulatory consulting firm based in Denver to analyze the blood center’s comprehensive quality management systems (QMS). The analysis of the organization’s structure and QMS performance metrics against other similar-sized regulated organizations showed areas for significant improvement. As a result of these findings, Bonfils Blood Center announced today it will restructure its quality organization to consolidate quality activities, improve efficiencies and better support manufacturing operations throughout the organization. This restructuring will eliminate some existing positions, create several new positions and outsource administrative functions for training and document control.

In order to make the necessary changes to achieve benchmark standards, Bonfils today eliminated 24 positions affecting 20 individuals. Five of those individuals will remain on staff for a period of time to assist with transition. While Bonfils is outsourcing some of its non-core, administrative functions to Reglera, the blood center is bolstering its quality assurance and regulatory affairs functions by adding five new positions including two leadership positions that will provide a dedicated and continued focus on improving Bonfils’ quality management systems.

“Our community should be assured that the products we deliver to patients in need will maintain the highest level of safety, purity and potency,” says Thomas C. Puckett, president and chief executive officer of Bonfils Blood Center. “In fact, we believe that these changes will ensure enhanced compliance and improved efficiencies for the blood center.”

For more than 60 years, Bonfils Blood Center has supported the community blood supply and has played an instrumental role in the lives of patients in need throughout Colorado and beyond. Bonfils Blood Center supplies blood to more than 200 healthcare facilities. For information about Bonfils Blood Center, please visit www.bonfils.org or call 303.341.4000 or 800.365.0006.