FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2019 – Houchin Community Blood Bank in Bakersfield, California joins the Alliance for Community Transfusion Services (ACTS) – a group of independent blood centers committed to improving efficiency, operations, and opportunities to best serve donors and patients.
Houchin Community Blood Bank in Bakersfield, CA has joined eleven other independent blood centers in the Alliance for Community Transfusion Services (ACTS). ACTS was formed in 2010 to strengthen relationships between community blood programs and their local hospitals.
“We’re thrilled with the addition of Houchin Community Blood Bank to the ACTS Alliance,” said Nelson Hellwig, Chief Executive Officer of ACTS. “With a history of great community support, and now under Dr. Brad Bryan’s leadership, the organization has become strong, successful, and fully committed to their hospital partners. We look forward to working with Houchin as we continue to help our blood centers become stronger and more successful in the communities they serve.”
“I am very excited that Houchin Community Blood Bank is now a member of the ACTS Alliance,” said Dr. Bryan, Chief Executive Officer of Houchin. “As a member of ACTS, we now have the product volume and purchasing advantages of a large blood center, while still keeping the strong community focus that our local donors have always appreciated.”
About Houchin Community Blood Bank
Houchin Community Blood Bank first opened its doors in Bakersfield, California in April 1952. Since that time, Houchin Community Blood Bank has been the sole supplier of life saving blood to residents of Kern County and beyond.
About the Alliance for Community Transfusion Services
The Alliance for Community Transfusion Services (ACTS) is an alliance of independent blood centers that annually collect, process, and distribute more than 1.5 million blood products to over 750 healthcare facilities and provide various technical services, therapeutic treatments and cellular laboratory operations throughout the United States. Other ACTS members include Carter BloodCare (Dallas/Fort Worth, TX), Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank (Hummelstown, PA), Coastal Bend Blood Center (Corpus Christi, TX), Community Blood Center of the Ozarks (Springfield, MO), LifeShare Blood Center (Shreveport, LA), Oklahoma Blood Institute (Oklahoma City, OK), Shepeard Community Blood Center (Augusta, GA), South Texas Blood and Tissue Center (San Antonio, TX), SunCoast Blood Bank (Sarasota, FL), The Community Blood Center (Appleton, WI) and We Are Blood (Austin, TX).
ACTS members collectively meet challenges of the business environment through shared resources, initiatives, and expertise. Through this unique collaboration, ACTS members enjoy the economic benefits typically associated with large centralized operations without sacrificing the qualitative benefits of independent, community blood banking.
Houchin Community Blood Bank Media Contact:
Tracy Hunter
(661) 330-6264
ACTS Media Contact:
Nelson Hellwig, MBA
(504) 575-2139
