RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Blood Connection (TBC), an independently managed, non-profit community blood center, became the exclusive blood provider for Columbus Regional Healthcare System, Scotland Health Care System, and Southeastern Health on October 1, 2020. These hospitals are joining other healthcare systems in the Coastal Carolina Health Alliance like Vidant Health and McLeod Health, who have also chosen TBC as their blood supplier. This new partnership will allow TBC to not only strengthen its community ties in the southeastern region of North Carolina, but also give residents the chance to save local lives in the community.
“The Blood Connection encourages residents to donate blood knowing their donations will serve friends, family and neighbors. We are honored to be able to support the health of people in this region and we are grateful for each new opportunity to connect donors with recipients,” said Delisa K. English, TBC President and CEO. “In this time of urgent need for blood donations, this is an opportunity to serve more people, help more patients and save more lives.”
TBC has served as a non-profit 501(c)(3) community blood center for decades and is the exclusive provider for the entire Upstate of South Carolina and a large portion of North Carolina. TBC currently supplies 30 hospital partners with life-saving blood products in 29 counties across eastern North Carolina. TBC also has a strong partnership with Vidant EastCare, which provides the critical blood supply needed to support trauma patients with on-board units and plasma on its helicopters. TBC now adds three additional counties (Columbus, Scotland, and Robeson) to its service area in Eastern North Carolina.
TBC has been at the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, navigating the fluctuations of the blood supply. TBC has partnered with various members of the local community to host vital blood drives and ensure the blood supply has remained adequate during this time of critical need for blood donations. TBC’s mission is to ensure all hospital partners have the blood supplies needed for patients at any given time, even amidst a pandemic. During this time, TBC kept up with hospital partners’ needs during a national blood shortage.
While blood collections is a big part of what TBC does, it is also a full-service blood center, which includes testing, manufacturing, distribution and reference lab services, now including COVID-19 antibody testing. As a single-focused operation, the community blood center is able to commit all of its resources to collecting and testing blood products in order to transport them to local hospitals quickly. TBC’s impact in North Carolina has continued to grow significantly and this expansion into the southeastern region of North Carolina will allow TBC to impact thousands of residents in the local communities of Columbus, Scotland, and Robeson counties.
TBC urges all eligible donors to donate to ensure that hospital’s needs for blood are uninterrupted. Donors can visit thebloodconnection.org to find a blood drive.
About The Blood Connection
The Blood Connection has been committed to saving lives since 1962. Founded in Greenville, South Carolina, TBC is an independently managed, not-for-profit, community blood center that provides blood products to more than 70 hospitals within Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
Recognized by the U.S. Congress for its dedication to disaster preparedness and the community, TBC works diligently to collect blood from volunteer donors to meet the ever-increasing demand. By keeping collections local, TBC serves hundreds of thousands of patients a year in its communities. TBC is licensed and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For more information, visit thebloodconnection.org.
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