Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Turns 25

The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is 25 years young, and what a growth spurt it has had - from 46,000 blood unit collections in 1975, to 625,000 in 1999; and from 85 health care institutions served in 1975, to 227 currently. One thing about The Blood Center has remained the same for this quarter century: since it opened Jan. 1, 1975. The Blood Center has never paid for blood donations. "The gift of life" has been truly that over the years.

"It's been a great team effort over the years," says Bill Teague, president and CEO of The Blood Center.

Dr. George G. Alexander was chairman of The Blood Center's board of trustees for 20 years, until his retirement in 1994. The TMC News spoke with Dr. Alexander at his home in Bellville.

"There were problems prior to 1974," says Dr. Alexander. "The Harris County Medical Society [Dr. Alexander was president] had, at that time, an arrangement with Blood Services of Arizona, and they supplied the blood to our local hospitals. There were always shortages, here and across the entire country. Some meetings at the medical society lasted past midnight, with doctors and hospital administrators complaining about the blood shortage. Well, we had an option in our contract that we could buy Blood Services, so with the help of Texas Commerce Bank and 100 physicians here who put up $1,000 each to secure the loan, we went ahead.

"It was a real challenge, but we did several things right away that made the process easier and better for everyone. We got all the hospitals with a blood plan to unify and have the same blood plan. We created a board of trustees with as many blood bankers and pathologists and people committed to the success as we could find. And then Dr. Bill Hill and I went over to Austin where we heard there was a very capable young man in the Austin blood bank and we convinced him to come to Houston to direct these efforts. That was one of the best things we did, hire Bill Teague."

Jim Hickox was executive director of the Harris County Medical Society in 1975 when The Blood Center was organized. Mr. Hickox spoke with the News about the exciting project of beginning a new blood center. "Of course in the early 1970s there was a real `boom' here in Houston, and the hospitals were very busy and the Arizona blood folks just couldn't keep up with the demand. The hospitals and surgeons were irate. Our initial building was at 5203 Caroline, but we quickly outgrew that space and broke ground for the La Concha facility. Central to the success was Dr. Alexander because he involved the whole medical community and insisted that the board of trustees be composed of hospital administrators, physicians and blood bankers."

"I think we were too busy to be worried," says Teague, reflecting on his first few years in Houston. "We've had tremendous growth, but you don't have that kind of growth unless there is a need."

In 1975, there were two mandatory tests for the blood supply - syphilis and hepatitis B. Now there are 10 tests, and the costs for ensuring a safe blood supply have dramatically risen. Each new test reduces the number of potential donors, so there is always a recruitment effort aimed at new donors - and efforts to keep those who already give blood to give a little more often.

"We are the most blessed," says Teague, speaking of The Blood Center staff. "Our staff goes home every night knowing they've made a difference in the lives of a lot of Texans."

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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