Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center has launched eDelphyn, the next generation of blood banking software.
Though eDelphyn’s innovative system has been used internationally for automated blood management processes, the Houston-based blood center is the first in the US to implement the software. As a result, the system, developed by GPI USA, has been revamped from the ground up to meet US Food and Drug Administration regulations.
“Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center’s dedication to instilling control and quality in everything they do is reassuring to their community that the blood supply is in very good hands. We are looking forward to a continued partnership on improvements to our applications for the many years to come,” said Jeff Everett, VP Customer Operations at GPI USA.
The system’s simplicity is what first attracted Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center to the software. The blood banking industry is a niche market, and there are few software options.
“Over the last three years, we’ve worked with GPI USA to rebuild its software into a system that is user-friendly, adaptable and specifically created to meet our needs,” said Bart Block, Associate Vice President, Management Information Systems.
One of the biggest challenges in adapting the software to meet FDA standards was identifying donors because social security numbers are private. GPI USA developed an algorithm to identify duplicate donor accounts and will continue to update eDelphyn to capture changes that will occur in the industry over the years.
As Gulf Coast Blood Center continues to grow its client testing services, eDelphyn includes a laboratory information system designed to integrate all of the center’s processes.
“At the end of the day, when the new system is fully utilized, eDelphyn will better help us meet our mission of saving lives,” Block said, “and that’s the most important factor as we upgrade our technology.”
Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is the sole provider of blood and blood components 24/7 to more than 170 hospitals and health care facilities in a 26-county Texas Gulf Coast region. Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is a nonprofit organization and is accredited by the Food and Drug Administration. For more information or to help save lives, visit giveblood.org.
