General Info

Shepeard Community Blood Center was opened on October 9, 1978, in a leased building on 12th Street in downtown Augusta. The name honors Walter L. Shepeard, one of the Centers founders. Dr. Shepeard was chairman of the Department of Medical Technology at the Medical College of Georgia and a nationally recognized specialist in blood banking. Until his death in March 1978, he was devoted to the development of a blood center for the Augusta area. In the beginning, Shepeard was responsible for the recruitment, drawing, processing and distribution of blood and blood components for patients in Doctors, St. Joseph and University hospitals. In December 1980, Wills Memorial Hospital in Washington, Georgia, became the fourth hospital served by Shepeard. Shepeard Community Blood Center Aiken opened in its first permanent fixed site location in September 2001. Prior to this time, Shepeard operated out of a bloodmobile in the Aiken area to support the increased blood needs of the Aiken Regional Medical Centers open-heart surgery program. A temporary fixed site was established in the SRP building in 1999 until the permanent location was opened at 1019 Pine Log Road. In March 2007, Shepeard Community Blood Center Aiken relocated to 353 Fabian Drive, Aiken, SC in the Hitchcock Plaza Shopping Center. Shepeard Community Blood Center Aiken now operates a modern, state-of-the-art blood collection facility which includes, whole blood collection, platelet pheresis, and double red blood cell (which is automated red cell collection). Shepeard Community Blood Center Evans original location was on North Belair Road. In February 2010, the current Evans location was opened at 4329 Washington Road, Evans, GA. Our current Evans center collects whole blood, double red cells, platelets, and plasma. This prime new location is more convenient for blood donors in the heart of Evans, and provides Shepeard with the opportunity to consolidate it's resources. Previous to moving to the new Evans center, platelets and plasma were collected only at Shepeard's Pheresis Center in Martinez, GA which was closed upon the opening of the new Evans location. Today, Shepeard partners with compassionate volunteer blood donors who provide for local patients by donating on modern bloodmobiles and at state of the art blood centers housing the most sophisticated equipment available. Donation centers are available in Augusta, Evans, and in Aiken, SC and bloodmobiles visit 21 counties within South Carolina and Georgia, primarily in the Central Savannah River Area.