Carilion Clinic Selects New Blood Provider

Carilion Clinic to partner with The Blood Connection to support blood product needs for local patients

ROANOKE, Va., Nov. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Carilion Clinic, a not-for-profit integrated health system headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, has partnered with The Blood Connection (TBC) for its blood product needs. This agreement is effective Dec. 31, 2023. TBC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community blood center and the primary blood provider for more than 120 hospitals in Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.

TBC plans to open donation centers locally and will serve our community though hosting mobile blood drives. Expanding into the Roanoke community will allow TBC to increase donor collection opportunities. With this partnership, blood donors can feel confident knowing their donations are helping our community and neighbors.

“Carilion is excited about our new blood services partnership with The Blood Connection,” said Carilion President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Arner. “TBC is dedicated to supplying our local blood product needs and being involved in the community. We encourage blood donors to support TBC’s future blood drives to help them ensure our region has adequate blood to help us care for our patients.”

“We are honored to partner with Carilion Clinic to provide these lifesaving blood products to local patients,” said Delisa English, President and CEO of TBC. “Local blood donors make the difference in sustaining the community blood supply and preventing blood shortages. All blood products used by patients at Carilion will be provided exclusively by TBC. We will immediately begin efforts to collect blood products in the community and are seeking blood donors and organizations who are willing to support this partnership and the local blood supply by sponsoring blood drives.”

Despite national blood shortages, TBC has continuously 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 Carilion and is regulated by the FDA and Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB).

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 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. TBC also encourages and welcomes local schools, businesses, churches, and organizations, to be part of the connection as a blood drive host. To learn more about hosting a blood drive, please visit thebloodconnection.org/host.

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 over 120 hospitals within Virginia, 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.

About Carilion Clinic
Carilion Clinic is a not-for-profit health system serving more than one million people in Virginia and West Virginia regions. Headquartered in Roanoke, Carilion’s comprehensive network of hospitals, primary and specialty physician practices and other complementary services deliver high-quality, patient-centered care. Carilion’s enduring commitment to the health of our communities has advanced over the last decade but remains grounded in providing care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Beginning with the transformation to the clinic model of a physician-led, integrated healthcare system, Carilion has developed robust academic partnerships with the creation of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and Radford University Carilion’s school for allied health sciences. Carilion advances care through education, research and innovation elements and continues to rely on the generous support of donors to advance its mission to improve the health of the communities we serve. Learn more at CarilionClinic.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. 

Contact:   Ellen Kirtner, Partnerships & Media Coordinator
Phone:     (984) 222-1104
Email:    [email protected]

SOURCE The Blood Connection, Inc.