Member Spotlight: Blood Bank of Delmarva

Plasma

The Situation: Prior to joining GSABC and accessing their Octapharma plasma contract, Blood Bank of Delmarva dealt directly with plasma brokers. Without a GPO or a larger organization to represent them, Delmarva was responsible for negotiating their own contracts and ensuring that they cleared all regulatory hurdles.

“At that point,” said Anthony Stella, Director of Facilities and Purchasing, “the rules and regulations weren't as complicated as they are now. We could do it ourselves when we didn't have to worry about things like EU regulations, but to simplify things and save money we needed to make a change.”

The Solution: When looking for a larger organization to handle their plasma business, Delmarva was looking for an organization that could streamline their plasma sales process while maximizing revenue at the same time.

“GSABC's Octapharma contract had everything that we were looking for: good pricing, a resource for regulatory questions and a working knowledge of the industry,” said Stella, adding that Delmarva also values the workshops and seminars produced by GSABC and Octapharma.

The Outcome: Membership in GSABC has proved to be a good investment for Delmarva in terms of both time and money. “My experience with GSABC has been very positive,” said Stella. “They have always been very responsive and willing to answer any questions or concerns promptly and by the right people.”

Bottom line revenue has been important to Delmarva, but just looking at the numbers doesn't give the full picture. “GSABC does their job well and they do it consistently,” said Stella, “and that's what means the most to us.”

About Blood Bank of Delmarva: Blood Bank of Delmarva is a non-profit community service program that provides blood and blood products to the 17 hospitals and 13 renal care facilities on the Delmarva Peninsula. More than 75,000 blood donations are needed in this area each year for more than 20,000 patients across the Delmarva Peninsula.  The Blood Bank's basis is its blood assurance plan which provides blood replacement coverage for its members.  Blood Bank of Delmarva's mission is to serve its community by meeting the needs of patients, hospitals, and members for safe, high quality blood products and related services.