John Armitage, M.D. President and CEO Oklahoma Blood Institute

Prior to joining OBI in 2007, Dr. Armitage led the Appalachian Blood Services Region (the American Red Cross center in Roanoke, VA), the Greater Alleghenies Blood Services Region (the Red Cross center in Johnstown, PA), and New Jersey Blood Services (New York Blood Center’s operation in New Brunswick, NJ). Additionally, he served in progressively responsible positions as Medical Officer, Medical Director, and Chief Medical Officer for the Carolinas Blood Services Region (the Red Cross center in Charlotte, NC) and the Appalachian Region.

He received his training in transfusion medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and [Carter] BloodCare in Dallas, TX. He has degrees from Duke University School of Medicine (M.D.) and Yale University (B.A. in History). His primary area of interest is donor recruitment, on which subject he has multiply published and presented internationally. In 2005-2006, he was President of the Association of Donor Recruitment Professionals, the premier professional organization for blood recruiters. He has also published research in epidemiology, coagulation, infectious disease, and immunology.

He is proud to be a multi-gallon O-negative whole blood and double red cell donor. He has also given over 60 plateletpheresis donations. He hopes to be a patient’s match and provide a bone marrow (peripheral blood stem/progenitor cell) donation in the future. He also claims, by proxy, partial credit for the 800+ units collected through blood drives originated and coordinated by his amazing wife, Catherine.