Health care
BY JULIANNA WASHBURN
Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center celebrates 50-year milestone Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, a nonpro t blood center founded in January 1975, celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Theresa Pina, chief growth o cer for Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, said with the new mile- stone came memories of impactful testimonies from over the years. “I get to hear the stories from moms that talk about how our blood products help their child get through their leukemia treatment,” Pina said. “I get to hear about people that were in major car accidents or traumas that happen and get to see that they’re living a normal life now.” Two-minute impact The Houston-based community blood center serves 170 hospitals and health care facilities in a
26-county area. It is also the only blood provider to Houston and its surrounding communities that serves 24 hours a day and seven days a week, according to the center’s website. One blood donation can help up to three people who need surgeries, cancer treatments or are enduring chronic illnesses or trauma, Pina said. To meet the community’s needs, the center needs about 1,000 donations a day. One more thing Pina said the center is also looking at the next 50 years and how it can expand the center, such as putting a greater focus on the contributions to research and opening a new building across the street from the center’s headquarters to serve as its new donor room. Pina said the new donor building will open this year. “We want to celebrate the 50 years of who we are going to be and how we can serve bigger and how we can save more lives, not only through saving people with transfusions, but also helping provide cures for medical mysteries that exist today,” Pina said.
Donor Marsha Asplin celebrates a milestone of 1,600 units, or 200 gallons of blood, donated over 42 years.
PHOTO COURTESY GULF COAST REGIONAL BLOOD CENTER
In 2024, the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center saw:
433,506 lives saved
139,347 total donors
322,571 total units donated
533 volunteers
SOURCE: GULF COAST REGIONAL BLOOD CENTER COMMUNITY IMPACT
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