Augusta, GA, Aug. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Blood Connection, a non-profit community blood center serving Doctors Hospital of Augusta, is opening a new blood donation center at 3156 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 201. The new center is located less than a mile from Doctors Hospital and will provide a consistent and convenient location for blood donors in the region.
Although TBC has been supplying blood to the Georgia medical community for decades, TBC’s newest fixed donation site represents a milestone for the organization. This site will be TBC’s second fixed-site donation facility in Georgia and first in Augusta, beginning a monumental chapter for the Augusta community and its healthcare system. TBC, formerly known as Carolina-Georgia Blood Center, originally formed to be a blood provider for small hospitals in Georgia and South Carolina, before it eventually grew to become The Blood Connection. TBC announced a new partnership as a blood supplier for Doctors Hospital of Augusta in July of 2022. With this partnership, blood donors can feel confident knowing their donations are helping their community.
In addition to providing a convenient location for community members to donate blood, this site will also serve as an operational hub for TBC. The location will house TBC’s bloodmobiles and team of donor recruiters, phlebotomists, and mobile staging specialists. Blood mobiles will be dispatched from this location to blood drives across the Augusta region.
“The Blood Connection is proud to expand our impact in the Central Savannah River Area through this new donation site in Augusta,” said Delisa English, President & CEO of The Blood Connection. “We were invited into this community to support a strong community blood supply, and we need the community’s help. Blood cannot be replicated in a lab – it must be donated. We are excited to give the people of Augusta another opportunity to make a difference in their community.”
This announcement comes during a critical time for blood donations. Throughout the past year, TBC has seen historically low donor turnout, impacting the regional blood supply. Despite the regional and national blood shortage, TBC has proven to be a stable and dedicated partner for local hospitals – committing itself to ensuring blood products are readily available when needed.
The Blood Connection provides blood products to more than 100 hospitals in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. While 60% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood, only 3% of people do. Surgery patients, accident victims, patients with cancer and newborn babies all count on the local blood supply. TBC is asking the community to help it meet the daily needs of hospitals by donating blood.
Blood donors must be healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be 17 years old or 16 with written parental consent. TBC encourages both whole blood and platelet donations.
About The Blood Connection
Founded in Greenville, SC, The Blood Connection has been committed to saving lives since 1962. TBC is an independently managed, not-for-profit, community blood center that provides blood products to around 100 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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