Moffitt Cancer Center Partners with New Blood Banks to Fulfill Growing Needs of Patients
TAMPA, Fla. — Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. A single unit of blood can benefit several patients, such as those at Moffitt Cancer Center. Cancer patients often have a constant need for blood donations.
Moffitt, understanding the importance of having an adequate supply of blood on demand, has now partnered with LifeSouth Community Blood Centers and SunCoast Blood Centers as their primary and secondary blood suppliers. This new agreement will help Moffitt in serving their patients as the organization continues to grow.
“As we are expanding and growing, it is important that we partner with organizations that can help us in the process. LifeSouth and SunCoast are both great organizations whose years of experience in providing blood to those in need — especially cancer patients — is what we were looking for when seeking a new partnership,” said Jack Kolosky, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Moffitt.
For several years, LifeSouth and SunCoast have been on the forefront of supplying blood to health care facilities. Their mission, both aligning, is to provide safe, reliable, and quality blood supply and services to all hospitals and health care centers in need.
“Partnering with Moffitt by providing lifesaving blood to cancer patients is a true honor,” said Nancy Eckert, president and CEO of LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. “We are proud to join Moffitt in the fight against cancer and look forward to serving the community.”
As cancer care increases, so does the demand for blood and platelet donations. The goal of the new partnership is for all blood donations collected in the local areas to go directly to Moffitt. This ensures that the cancer center will always have a full supply of blood on hand, meeting the demands of every patient.
“It is a privilege for SunCoast Blood Centers to be entrusted to join Moffitt Cancer Center in serving those courageously battling this disease,” said Scott Bush, CEO at SunCoast Blood Centers. “As the first blood center in the country to provide pathogen reduced platelets, the products we can provide Moffitt patients are the safest and most reliable blood products available today.”
LifeSouth and SunCoast will start hosting blood drives at Moffitt during the second week of May.
About Moffitt Cancer Center
Moffitt is dedicated to one lifesaving mission: to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. The Tampa-based facility is one of only 51 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt’s scientific excellence, multidisciplinary research, and robust training and education. Moffitt is a Top 10 cancer hospital and has been nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report since 1999. Moffitt’s expert nursing staff is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet® status, its highest distinction. With more than 6,500 team members, Moffitt has an economic impact in the state of $2.4 billion. For more information, call 1-888-MOFFITT (1-888-663-3488), visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the momentum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About LifeSouth Community Blood Centers
LifeSouth is a non-profit community blood bank serving more than 100 hospitals in Alabama, Florida and Georgia, including Moffitt Cancer Center. LifeSouth is committed to meeting the blood supply needs of hospitals and their patients by providing the highest quality blood components and services. With more than 30 donor centers, 50 blood mobiles and 2,000 blood drives a month, the LifeSouth team is dedicated to making sure the blood is there when a patient is in need. To learn more, visit lifesouth.org or call 888-795-2707.
About SunCoast Blood Center
A registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, SunCoast Blood Centers has provided a reliable supply of safe blood products and services for our community since 1949. SunCoast is the exclusive supplier of blood products and services for Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System, Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Manatee Memorial Hospital, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, Complex Care Hospital of Ridgelake, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Sarasota, North Port Emergency Room, Fawcett Memorial Hospital of Port Charlotte, Englewood Community Hospital and DeSoto Memorial Hospital. SunCoast also partners with Moffitt Cancer Center to provide blood products including pathogen reduced platelets. Recognized for its outstanding service, the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce honored SunCoast as the 2017 Non-profit of the Year. SunCoast participates in cancer treatment programs, research and provides therapeutic services at the hospitals it serves. For donor locations and more information, visit www.suncoastblood.org or call 1-866-97-BLOOD.