Blood Centers of America chooses QualTex Laboratories as vendor of choice
BCA’s evaluation process aims to reduce costs for member centers
SAN ANTONIO – After a rigorous evaluation process that included criteria such as quality processes, customer service, pricing and long-term strategy, Blood Centers of America (BCA) has selected QualTex Laboratories as its vendor of choice for member centers’ testing needs.
BCA, which comprises more than 50 independent blood centers and represents more than 30 percent of the U.S. blood supply, made the announcement at its recent member meeting.
“BCA is committed to drive cost savings to members,” said Bill Block, president and CEO of BCA. “The BCA Testing Leadership Committee aggregated the testing volume of BCA member centers that are outsourcing their testing and have contract expiration dates in 2015 and 2016. An RFP was sent to 19 testing facilities, and seven responded.”
He said an evaluation matrix scorecard was developed to score each section of the RFP. The weight and importance of each section was assigned by the BCA testing committee. The committee then reviewed all evaluator scores and comments.
“QualTex Laboratories received the highest overall score from evaluators and the highest average scores for each section,” Block said. “We believe that, as a result of this process, BCA centers will have the opportunity to lower costs by moving their testing to QualTex.”
Dirk Johnson, COO of QualTex Laboratories, said QualTex is ready to serve its fellow BCA members and be part of the costs-savings solution for them.
“We are very pleased that the BCA Testing Leadership Committee selected QualTex as the vendor of choice for BCA members,” Johnson said. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the BCA membership, meeting their testing needs and exceeding their expectations with our service.”
Block said that ultimately, the vendor-of-choice selection makes all BCA members winners.
“This process will have resulted in reduced costs and increased net revenues for BCA members, and that’s what’s most important,” he said.
About BCA: BCA is a member-owned organization comprising more than 50 independent blood centers geographically dispersed throughout North America, representing more than 30 percent of the U.S. blood supply. Along with their core business of providing a substantial portion of the blood supply, BCA members provide other services including patient blood management, transfusion services, immunohematology testing, therapeutic apheresis and tissue and cord blood banking. In addition, BCA members provide a variety of human blood products, cells and tissues to the therapeutic, diagnostic and cell therapy industries. Learn more at bca.coop.
About QualTex Laboratories: QualTex Laboratories is a nonprofit affiliate of BioBridge Global that provides state-of-the-art biologic testing services on whole blood, plasma and human cells, tissue, and cellular- and tissue-based products (HCT/P) for its global biotechnology and biopharmaceutical customers. It’s one of the nation’s largest nonprofit testing laboratories and has locations in Texas and Georgia. Visit us at qualtexlabs.org.
About BioBridge Global: BioBridge Global (BBG) is a San Antonio, Texas-based nonprofit organization that offers diverse services in regenerative medicine through its subsidiaries. Its subsidiaries – the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, QualTex Laboratories and GenCure – provide products and services in blood banking, cellular therapy, umbilical cord blood and tissue as well as testing of blood, plasma and tissue products for clients in the United States and worldwide. BBG is an outgrowth of the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, which has a proud history of serving the South Texas region and beyond for more than 40 years. BBG is committed to supporting groundbreaking research, addressing unmet clinical needs and enabling the development and commercialization of novel biotechnology products. Visit us at biobridgeglobal.org.
