CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, Jan. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Blood Connection (TBC), an independently managed, non-profit community blood center is now a supplemental blood provider for UVA Health University Medical Center in Charlottesville. The health system is the latest in over 130+ hospital partners that depend upon The Blood Connection to ensure a steady and reliable blood supply for their patients. This new partnership allows TBC not only to strengthen its community ties in the Central Virginia region but also give residents in Albemarle and surrounding counties a chance to save lives and make an impact on their neighbors.
Over 60 years ago, TBC was founded in Greenville, SC as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) community blood center to provide healthcare partners with safe, adequate and cost-effective blood. Today, TBC has expanded as the exclusive blood provider for over 130 healthcare and hospital systems, EMS and air transport departments across South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia.
“TBC is proud to partner with UVA Health to provide life-saving blood products to patients in need,” said Elliott Kelley, Director of Public Relations and Marketing at The Blood Connection. “We are honored to support the health of Virginians by connecting donors with recipients to give them another chance at life.”
“We are proud to partner with The Blood Connection to strengthen our commitment to patient care at UVA Health,” said Min Lee, Chief Operating Officer of UVA Health University Medical Center. “This collaboration will help us ensure that we have the necessary blood supplies to meet the needs of our community. We encourage our neighbors in Charlottesville and surrounding areas to join us in this lifesaving mission by becoming blood donors. Together, we can make a significant impact in the lives of those we serve.”
Although TBC is responsible for keeping the blood supply stable, it cannot replicate or manufacture blood; it must be donated. Expanding into the Charlottesville community will allow TBC to increase blood donor collection opportunities. TBC’s mission is to ensure all hospital partners have the blood supplies needed to provide care for their patients at any given time.
TBC urges all eligible donors to donate blood to ensure that your local hospital’s blood supply is uninterrupted. To find opportunities to donate blood near you, please visit thebloodconnection.org/donate. In addition to blood donors, TBC is always in need of local businesses, schools, churches and other organizations to host a blood drive. To learn more about hosting a blood drive, please visit thebloodconnection.org/host-a-drive.
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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 120 hospitals within the Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia. 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.
About UVA Health
UVA Health is an academic health system that recently expanded to include four hospitals across Charlottesville, Culpeper and Northern Virginia, along with the UVA School of Medicine, UVA School of Nursing, UVA Physicians Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library. With more than 1,000 inpatient beds, approximately 40,000 inpatient stays annually and more than 1 million outpatient encounters annually at UVA Health, more than 1,000 employed and independent physicians provide high-quality, comprehensive and specialized care to patients across the Commonwealth and beyond. Founded in 1819 as just the 10th medical school in America, the UVA School of Medicine – with 20 clinical departments, nine research departments and seven research centers – consistently attracts some of the nation’s most prominent researchers to develop breakthrough treatments to benefit patients around the world. Those research efforts are backed by more than $200 million in grant funding. UVA Health Children's is recognized as the No. 1 hospital in Virginia for children by U.S. News & World Report, with eight specialties rated among the top in America. For more information, resources, and to follow us on social media, please visit uvahealth.com.
