The Blood Connection Chosen as Sole Blood Provider for Trident Health

The Blood Connection Chosen as Sole Blood Provider for Trident Health

Community Urged to Donate to Support Local Patients

CHARLESTON, S.C. (JULY 31, 2023) The Blood Connection (TBC), an independently managed, non-profit community blood center is announcing an extended partnership to serve as the sole blood provider for Trident Health, which includes Trident Medical Center, Summerville Medical Center, Live Oak Mental Health & Wellness, Brighton Park Emergency, Centre Pointe Emergency and Moncks Corner Medical Center.

TBC, building upon its existing relationship with Trident Health, was chosen to serve one of the nation’s leading healthcare systems because of its proven ability to provide a ready and stable blood supply for local hospital partners, even throughout the pandemic. TBC’s reliability and consistency helps to ensure a robust healthcare system for trauma victims and the many patients who rely on blood transfusions.

TBC has served as a non-profit 501(c)(3) community blood center for 60 years. The blood center was 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 began to serve the Lowcountry in 2019. It is now the primary blood provider for more than 120 hospitals in South Carolina, North Carolina, and parts of Georgia. TBC currently operates blood donation centers in Charleston and the coastal South Carolina region, along with dozens of bloodmobile units. With this partnership, blood donors can feel confident knowing their donations are helping their community.

“The Blood Connection is proud to serve the Charleston area to ensure there are enough blood products for every patient in need,” said President & CEO of the Blood Connection, Delisa English. “Since there is no substitute for blood, we are reliant on community blood donors and are seeking organizations who are willing to support the local blood supply by sponsoring blood drives. Blood donations truly save lives.”

  

Jane Appleby, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Trident Health, added, “This announcement comes during a critical time for blood donations. Post-COVID, The Blood Connection has seen historically low donor turnout, which has impacted the local blood supply. Despite the local and national blood shortages, The Blood Connection has proven to be a reliable and dedicated partner for local hospitals – committing itself to ensuring blood products are readily available through volunteer blood donors.” TBC adheres to the same high-quality standards as Trident Health and is regulated by the Food & Drug Administration and American Association of Blood Banks.

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion while only three percent of the eligible population donates. 4.5 million Americans will be impacted by a blood donation every year. Surgery patients, accident victims, patients with cancer and newborn babies all rely on the local blood supply. Although TBC is responsible for keeping the blood supply stable, it cannot replicate blood; it must be donated. TBC urges the community to donate blood to ensure that hospitals’ needs are uninterrupted. It’s neighbors like these who are impacted by blood donors.

TBC and Trident Health are partnering to host a series of blood drives this year, giving community members the opportunity to ensure the blood supply is stable. Upcoming events are scheduled for:

August 3, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Brighton Park Emergency
1626 N. Main Street, Summerville, SC 29483

September 26, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Moncks Corner Medical Center
401 N Live Oak Drive, Moncks Corner, SC 29461

September 28, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Centre Pointe Emergency
5249 Emmett I. Davis Jr. Ave. N, North Charleston, SC 29418

Register at thebloodconnection.org. Appointments are encouraged. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Regional Hospitals Choose The Blood Connection as Sole Blood Provider

Regional Hospitals Choose The Blood Connection as Sole Blood Provider

TBC Prepares to Provide Thousands of Blood Products for Local Patients

GEORGIA & SOUTH CAROLINA (JULY 24, 2023) The Blood Connection (TBC), an independently
managed, non-profit community blood center is announcing a new partnership to serve as the sole blood
provider for regional hospitals across Georgia and South Carolina within a large healthcare system. This
partnership builds upon existing relationships with these hospitals and makes TBC the sole provider for five
more hospitals. TBC was chosen to serve one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services because
of its proven ability to provide a ready and stable blood supply for local hospital partners, even throughout the
pandemic. TBC’s reliability and consistency helps to ensure a robust healthcare system for trauma victims and
the many patients who rely on blood transfusions.

TBC will transition into being the sole blood provider for: Fairview Park Hospital, Doctors Hospital of
Augusta, Memorial Health Meadows, Memorial Satilla Health, and Memorial Health University Medical
Center. TBC has extended its partnership as the sole provider for Trident Regional Medical Center,
Summerville Medical Center, Colleton Medical Center, and Grand Strand Medical Center. Combined, these
hospitals treat hundreds of thousands of patients a year.

TBC, formerly known as Carolina-Georgia Blood Center, has served as a non-profit 501(c)(3) community
blood center for 60 years. The blood center was originally formed to be a blood provider for small hospitals in
Georgia and South Carolina, before it eventually grew to become The Blood Connection. It is now the primary
blood provider for more than 120 hospitals in South Carolina, North Carolina, and parts of Georgia. TBC
currently operates 15 blood donation centers, along with 50 bloodmobile units to collect around 1,000 blood
donations per day. With this new partnership, local blood donors can feel confident knowing their donations
are helping their community.

“The Blood Connection is proud to serve these hospital partners to ensure there are enough blood
products for every patient in need,” said President & CEO of The Blood Connection, Delisa English. “Since
there is no substitute for blood, we are reliant on community blood donors and the many organizations who
also support the local blood supply by sponsoring blood drives. Blood donations truly save lives.”

This announcement comes during a critical time for TBC. Post-COVID, the organization has seen historically
low donor turnout, which has impacted the local blood supply. Despite the local and national blood shortages,
TBC has proven to be a reliable and dedicated partner for local hospitals – committing itself to ensuring blood
products are readily available through volunteer blood donors.

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion while only three percent of the eligible
population donates. 4.5 million Americans will be impacted by a blood donation every year. Surgery patients,
accident victims, patients with cancer and newborn babies all rely on the local blood supply. Although TBC is
responsible for keeping the blood supply stable, it cannot replicate blood; it must be donated. TBC urges the
community to donate blood to ensure that hospitals’ needs are uninterrupted. It’s neighbors like these who are
impacted by blood donors.

For more photo and video resources, click here.

Two Upstate Hospital Systems Continue Partnership with The Blood Connection as Exclusive Blood Provider

Two Upstate Hospital Systems Continue Partnerships with The Blood Connection as Exclusive Blood Provider

TBC Makes It Official with Spartanburg Regional and AnMed

ANDERSON & SPARTANBURG, S.C. (July 12, 2023) The Blood Connection has solidified
its partnership with the Anderson and Spartanburg communities following recent renewed agreements
with AnMed and Spartanburg Regional. The multi-year extensions guarantee that TBC will be the
exclusiveblood provider for both hospital systems, supplyingall bloodproducts for patient needs through
volunteer blood donors.

When TBC was asked to be AnMed’s blood provider in 2018, TBC officially became the exclusive blood
provider for the entire Upstate of South Carolina. Since then,TBC has sent more than 32,000 blood
products to AnMed, helping thousands of patients on average each year.

“AnMed depends on a continuous reliable blood supply to provide care for many types of patients
including those fighting cancer, heart disease and serious injury, said AnMed CEO, William Kenley. “As
our only supplier of blood products, The Blood Connection is vitally important to what we do. Donating
to The Blood Connection is the only way to ensure that your donation stays here in our community to
help our neighbors and loved ones.”

TBC began serving Spartanburg Regional in 2010 and has sent more than 166,000 blood products to the
hospital system since then.

“These communities have been so supportive since we became their blood provider. Because of that,
blood has consistently been on the shelves for anyone in this community who has needed it,” says
President and CEO, Delisa English. “We are so thankful to the blood donors who are doing their part and
invite others to join our lifesaving mission. We will always need more blood donors. We look forward to
hosting more blood drives, growing our centers, and gaining even more partners here.”

This announcement is timely, as TBC just opened a new donation center in Anderson. The center in
Spartanburg has been open since 2012. While the donor base has been steadily growing in the Upstate,
new blood donors are still critical – especially as the Upstate continues to see booming population
growth. TBC must collect around 1,000 blood donations every day to serve its hospital partners in the
Carolinas and Georgia.

To find a location to donate, visit thebloodconnection.org/donate. Any organization interested in hosting a blood drive should visit thebloodconnection.org/host.

Southern Charm Star and Local Cancer Survivor Partner with The Blood Connection to Raise Money for LLS

Southern Charm Star and Local Cancer Survivor Partner with The Blood Connection to Raise Money for LLS

Hosting Blood Drives Throughout April

CHARLESTON, S.C. (March 28, 2023) 25% of donated blood products help cancer patients going through treatment.  Many of those patients are battling blood cancers, like leukemia and lymphoma, and require blood transfusions to make it through months of grueling treatment.  The Blood Connection (TBC) is proud to partner with two candidates for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Visionaries of the Year, to help raise money in the fight against blood cancer.

Throughout the next month, TBC will partner with Liza Patterson, a lymphoma survivor from Charleston, and Naomie Olindo, Southern Charm star and owner of L’Abeye boutique, to host blood drives which will ensure blood products are available for cancer patients in need and raise money for LLS.

Liza Patterson was just 29 years old, and five weeks removed from the birth of her daughter, when a trip to the emergency room revealed she had a large mass in her chest.  An ambulance ride to MUSC led to the discovery that the mass was cancer, and later to the diagnosis of Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma.  During six months of active treatment and countless rounds of chemotherapy, Patterson often found herself on the other end of blood transfusions.

“My life and the lives of those who love me would look very different today without generous donors like yourself,” said Patterson.  “Blood donation saved my life, and every new donor will save more lives.”

Her team, “No Bad Blood,” will host two blood drives in April: one at the Co-Op on Sullivans Island, and another on Charleston Center Drive, between Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Ashley River Tower, where Patterson received her intensive treatment.

Southern Charm star Naomie Olindo came face-to-face with the devastating effects of cancer when her father was diagnosed with Stage 3 esophageal cancer in December of 2018. He ultimately passed away from the disease a year later.  While not leukemia or lymphoma, the diagnosis was a reminder to her that cancer does not discriminate; it impacts those in our community every day and more needs to be done to find a cure.  Olindo had the opportunity to meet leukemia survivor and TBC advocate Rhys Shaw and his family, which encouraged her to join TBC in hosting blood drives supporting LLS.

“When you need a blood transfusion – it is a real emergency – and community members taking the time before that emergency to donate blood, is a great way to impact our community,” said Olindo.

Olindo’s team “Out for Blood,” will host two blood drives with TBC, the first on March 29 on Daniel Island with the Shaw family, and the second on April 17, at L’Abeye.

Details for each blood drive can be found below.

If donors are not able to attend these specific drives, they can still donate for the cause, by donating their reward points to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in the TBC Online Store.  Donors can find convenient blood drives near them by going to thebloodconnection.org/donate.

The Blood Connection Partners with Community Groups to  “Share the Love” by Sharing Life in February

The Blood Connection Partners with Community Groups to “Share the Love” by Sharing Life in February

The Blood Connection Partners with Community Groups to “Share the Love” by Sharing Life in February

TBC hosting blood drives with Texas Roadhouse,

Girl Scouts – Mountains to Midlands

THE CAROLINAS AND GEORGIA (February 16, 2023) Many have heard of “love languages”; the ways we share and receive love from those most important in our life.  One of those love languages? Acts of service.  What better act of service than donating blood with The Blood Connection (TBC) and their partner organizations? Donating blood is a compassionate way to show our neighbors and community just how much we care.  This February, TBC is partnering with Texas Roadhouse and the Girl Scouts – Mountains to Midlands council to provide fun and rewarding opportunities to donate blood.

 

 “The best gift you can give doesn’t come wrapped in a bow, or with a bouquet of flowers,” said Delisa English, President and CEO of The Blood Connection.  “The best gift is the selfless act of rolling up your sleeve and donating blood, to give someone the precious life-sustaining resource needed to spend another day with their loved ones.”

 

 Partnerships like the ones mentioned allow TBC to reach a new group of potential blood donors: something that is becoming more and more imperative to combat the ever-shrinking blood donor pool.  The blood donor population is currently aging, in what has been deemed a “silver tsunami.” As the core group of blood donors gets older and is no longer able to donate blood, the younger generations are not choosing to donate blood as frequently, causing the blood supply to become unstable.  TBC is thankful for partners like Texas Roadhouse and the Girl Scouts, who choose to spread the word about the need for blood donors not just once a year, but all year-round.

 

 “The need for blood donors never goes away,” said English. “We’re hopeful that these partnerships will bring a flood of eager blood donors, both new and old, when our buses deploy across the region on February 23 and March 2.”

 

On February 23, TBC will host two separate blood drives with the Girl Scouts – Mountains to Midlands council.  As a thank you for donating, all blood donors at those blood drives will receive a box of Thin Mints or Samoas (while supplies last), plus a $30 eGift card.  For every blood donor, TBC will also donate $20 to the council.  Please see the details for the individual blood drives below:

Also, on February 23 and March 2, TBC is once again partnering with Texas Roadhouse for the “Hearts as Big as Texas” campaign.  Now in its fifth year, Hearts as Big as Texas brings more than 20 bloodmobiles out across the Carolinas and Georgia to make blood donation convenient and fun for community members. As a thank you for donating, all blood donors will receive a $20 Texas Roadhouse Gift card, a free appetizer coupon, plus a bonus $30 eGift card!  Participating locations include:

  • Anderson, SC
  • Asheville, NC
  • Augusta, GA
  • Columbia (Columbiana), SC
  • Columbia (Two Notch), SC
  • Durham, NC
  • Florence, SC
  • Gainesville, GA
  • Gastonia, NC
  • Greenville, NC
  • Holly Springs, NC
  • Macon, GA
  • Myrtle Beach, SC
  • North Charleston, SC
  • Savannah, GA
  • Spartanburg, SC
  • Taylors, SC
  • Wake Forest, NC

Appointments for each individual location can be made by going to thebloodconnection.org/Texas.

 

 

The Blood Connection Partners with Community Groups to  “Share the Love” by Sharing Life in February

Local Friends Roll Up Their Sleeves to Donate Blood, Ensure Stable Blood Supply

Local Friends Roll Up Their Sleeves to Donate Blood, Ensure Stable Blood Supply

February Blood Donors Receive Special Edition F.R.I.E.N.D.S Sticker

THE CAROLINAS AND GEORGIA (February 2, 2023) Some friends meet at a coffee shop to catch up. Some go for a walk in the park. Others, like Lisa Topolosky and her friends Kelly, Jenn, and Linda, save lives together. The group meets regularly – every eight weeks to be exact – at The Blood Connection (TBC) donation center in Raleigh. It’s where they can catch up while helping their community – knowing their quality time is also giving their neighbors a chance at the same thing. This February, TBC hopes more community members will enlist their friends to join them in giving the gift of life, by donating blood with their community blood center.

Blood donation hits close to home for Lisa Topolosky: her daughter Abby was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor when she was just five years old and received countless blood transfusions as part of her treatment. Seven years later, Abby has been in remission for several years, but now Lisa encourages her friends and her community to join her in giving blood.

“It was amazing to me, there are people out there donating for her. The least I can do is go out, 30 to 45 minutes, every eight weeks to give back to somebody else going through it,” Topolosky said.

Through her family’s non-profit, Abby’s Army, she has become an advocate for other families whose children are also battling pediatric cancer. 25% of blood donations are used to help cancer patients, many of them children. That’s why it’s important to Topolosky that people donate blood. That’s also why her friends have made blood donation part of their routines.

“I never realized how important blood donation was until Lisa’s daughter went through her cancer treatment,” said Kelly McAleer. “Knowing that there are people out there- someone’s child, someone’s loved one- in need right now, and knowing that people who cared enough to donate when my friend’s daughter needed it…I feel like I can at least do my part. So, giving blood in honor of my friends, it only feels right to do it with my friends…”

In setting the dates for their future donation get-togethers, the foursome has also set an example for their friends, family, and neighbors.

“I’d been a donor for years but hadn’t always been very consistent with it until we all got together to do a group blood donation and lunch date after,” said Linda Blevins. “Blood donation is such an easy thing to do and has a really positive impact for others. It’s also another small way for me to show love and support to Lisa, Abby, and the good work of Abby’s Army. Going as a group is a lot of fun but also helps us all stay on track to donate regularly.”

The Blood Connection is encouraging others across the region to make an appointment to donate blood with their friends and become a community friend while they do it! As a thank you for donating blood in the month of February, all blood donors will receive a limited-edition FRIENDS-themed blood donor sticker, plus a BONUS $30 eGfit card! Donors are encouraged to post a picture with their sticker on social media tagging The Blood Connection (@thebloodconnection) and using the hashtag #therefortbc to be entered to win one of four $100 eGift cards! To make an appointment to donate this February, go to thebloodconnection.org/donate.

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