Company Fined $200,000 For Operating Unapproved Blood Collection Centers

The state Department of Public Health has fined a New Jersey company $200,000 for operating eight blood collection centers throughout Connecticut without state approval. Dr. Marc Grodman, president of BioReference Laboratories Inc., signed a consent order with DPH Nov. 3 in which he agreed to the fine and five years’ probation on the licenses of three clinical laboratories in Danbury, Greenwich and Westport and a certificate of approval for a blood collection center in Greenwich. In October, BioReference – which bills itself as the third largest chain of full-service clinical diagnostic labs in the U.S. – withdrew all of its pending applications to open blood-drawing centers in Connecticut. On Aug.

State Health Department Shuts Down Eight Blood Collection Centers

The state Department of Public Health has shut down eight blood collection centers because they were operating without a license or certificate. DPH issued a cease and desist order Aug. 29 against BioReference Laboratories Inc. of New Jersey, for operating the unlicensed blood collection centers in Fairfield, Ansonia, Milford, New London, Norwich, Waterbury, Wallingford and North Stonington. The order said that BioReference has a licensed clinical laboratory at 27 Hospital Ave. in Danbury, but that it opened the other labs before receiving a license or certificate to operate them.