FBC Takes Steps to Become Nation’s Most Transparent Non-profit Blood Center

For two years, Florida’s Blood Centers (FBC) has endured a media firestorm concerning various issues, including board governance and CEO pay. Now with a new board of directors, revamped culture and transparency, pending merger with CBCF and FBS, and the leadership of board chairman Rick Walsh and longtime CFO and interim CEO Mike Pratt, the nation’s fifth largest non-profit blood center is polished and prepared for a banner 2011. Pratt chatted with Medical News about FBC’s transformation and the road ahead.

Over the past couple of years, how have board governance and other operational elements of FBC changed?

I’m proud to say we made sweeping reforms to how we govern our business. The foundation for these positive changes is the Blood Donor Bill of Rights, which we adopted last year. We were the first blood bank in the state to implement such a set of pledges. It commits us to full transparency and disclosure in how we operate; it provides our donors and the public with the most up-to-date copies of our governing documents, such as our by-laws, code of ethics, whistleblower policy and corporate tax returns; and it promises our donors and all other stakeholders that we will manage our business with the highest professionalism, commitment to superior customer service and compliance with high ethical standards. The Bill of Rights and related documents are available on our website at floridasbloodcenters.org. 

We’re honored that highly respected community leaders have chosen to join our diverse Board of Directors. They include former Florida Lieutenant Governor and state Senate President Toni Jennings, former Florida Secretary of State and Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood, former state Representative Dick Batchelor, senior executives from major employers and other leaders who represent a rich variety of public and private-sector experience. Working with our new leadership team, they’ve brought significant business experience to our enterprise.

As technology has advanced, and blood centers have added services such as bone marrow matching and stem cell/white blood cell extraction, they’ve become more like pharmaceutical operations than simple blood-dispensing companies. Would you share some insight into this aspect of the operation?

Bone marrow matching through the National Marrow Donor Program is nothing new for blood banks. The process for the actual bone marrow extraction has, however, changed significantly. Now, bone marrow is taken from the bloodstream through the same apheresis process that is used for the donation of plasma and platelets. Because blood banks have the ability to perform stem cell extractions, more of them are involved in processes involving cells harvesting for the treatment of various therapies. One example is the Provenge® treatment for cancer, which involves extracting white blood cells that are modified to target the cancer cells directly. 

What are common misperceptions the medical community may have about blood centers?

We’re a highly complex business regulated in much the same way as the pharmaceutical industry, in that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires us to comply with strict standards and protocols to ensure the safety of the community’s blood supply.  For example, we spent about $15 million in 2010 to screen donated blood just for the HIV virus.  

Another misperception is that some people think blood is stored in a bank or vault. Not true. Most donated blood is transfused into patients within 48 hours of donation. It’s used as quickly as it is donated.

Also, we’re a not-for-profit that does not solicit taxpayer dollars or engage in fundraising. All revenue is reinvested back into our business to pay all of our operating expenses. 

What was the impetus for exploring a merger with CBCF and FBS?

Consolidating operations to improve logistics, efficiency, reduce costs, and eliminate duplication to better serve stakeholders is a national trend in healthcare. The potential merger we’re discussing represents that trend. It represents a historic opportunity to build a new model of cooperation that could lead to us doing an even better job of reliably providing safe and affordable blood to the communities we serve. Today’s economic climate requires us–as responsible stewards of the community’s blood supply–to consider all options to be as efficient and effective as possible. If a merger is the best way to fulfill our lifesaving mission, then it deserves serious examination. That’s what we’re doing.   

Tags:

Bookmark:

Digg

Facebook

Technorati

Newsvine

Google

Related: