LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

SunCoast Blood Bank looks to make waves in healthcare on a local and global level.

CONTINUING TO REMAIN ON THE CUTTING-EDGE of bio research and cellular therapy, donors who come through the doors soon realize SunCoast Blood Bank doesn’t just host mobile blood drives around town—it’s what happens to the blood after. A new wave of therapy, called CAR-T, is going to use the patient’s own blood cells to actually fight their cancer. “These are the types of innovative cancer therapies and treatments we’re going to participate in,” shares Bush. “CAR-T is a form of immunotherapy that uses specially altered T cells and holds a lot of promise,” And come March, SunCoast Blood Bank will expand to a brand new 25,000-acre facility in Lakewood Ranch to conduct further bio research, along with all its operations.

With the organization having completely run out of space—having to open four smaller facilities spread among four countries— consolidating all its components into one center will ultimately ensure higher efficiency. “We’re all going to be under one roof again,” shares Bush. “This will consolidate our operation and make us even leaner and more cost effective. We already have one of the most competitive cost structures in the United States, definitely in Florida.”

The new headquarters will house product manufacturing and components, the warehouse, as well as a reference lab for patient testing. The lab will allow SCBB to test for patient compatibility and antibody identification at the DNA molecular level. The Lakewood Ranch facility will also encompass one central administration office, as well as a large donor center with state-of-the-art collection and testing instruments that will maximize blood donor and recipient safety and comfort. Upon completion, SCBB will concentrate on a long-needed renovation of its flagship donor center located at 1760 Mound Street in Sarasota.

Additionally, SunCoast Blood Bank recently invested in a testing laboratory in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The partnership with 12 other nonprofit blood centers throughout the United States is the first of its kind. Testing and screenings are mandatory for every blood product collected and extremely expensive. “We have the safest blood supply in the world. But it comes at a cost,” says Bush. “Safety of the blood supply is our highest priority and having the testing center will allow us to dictate and control our own pricing—allowing us to be very competitive and actually keep the prices down, instead of pharmaceutical companies telling us to expect an increase.”

With a dozen national blood banks banning together, testing can be done at cost. Effectively, this contributes to lowering the cost of healthcare in our community. The collaboration allows SunCoast Blood Bank to share the volume of over one million samples and utilize Atlanta as a tier one airport to get units shipped in from anywhere around the country. “I think it will create the most competitive pricing in the United States for any kind of donor testing in the U.S,” states Bush. “And those savings just get passed on to the community. It will have an immediate impact.”

To volunteer for SCBB, contact Joan Leonard, 941-954-1600 ext 150, jleonard@scbb.org SunCoast Blood Bank is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization whose federal identification number is 59-0873275. To learn more about how you can financially support SCBB through gifts or bequests, please contact Jayne Giroux, 941-954-1600 ext 124, jgiroux@scbb.org

To schedule a blood donation, contact 1-866-97-BLOOD, www. scbb.org, @suncoastbb.

DONATION CENTERS

MOUND 1760 Mound St., Sarasota, 34236.

LAKEWOOD RANCH PLAZA 1731 LWR Blvd., Bradenton, 34211

BIRD BAY PLAZA 539 US Hwy 41 Bypass, North Venice, 34285

BAYSHORE GARDENS, BAYSHORE SHOPPING CENTER 6026 14th St., West Bradenton, 34207