Dallas-based Bloodbuy is now working with over 150 hospitals to seamlessly connect them to a network of blood centers.
Bloodbuy’s largest financial backers include North Carolina-based Premier, Inc. (NASDAQ: PINC) and Providence St. Joseph Health System.
The company’s founder & CEO, Chris Godfrey, sat down with the Dallas Business Journal to talk about where the company is headed next.
What developments has Bloodbuy made in the last year, and what big projects do you have coming up?
We’ve made some significant strides in product development and market development. Just in the last year we added 21 health systems to our network, including Methodist here in Dallas. We now work with over 150 hospitals in 30 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
We’re also working on some exciting partnerships that may be announced later this year.
Do you have another round of funding lined up?
We’re not actively raising at the moment, but we’re always meeting with existing and potential investors.
Do you see the costs of blood products evening out any time soon? Why or why not?
Blood product cost and availability still varies depending on geography. But I do believe much of the excess cost has been taken out of the system over the past few years and prices are bottoming.
What areas around the U.S. have the hardest time getting blood distributed?
Our blood supply is highly localized by design, so it’s inherently fragmented and susceptible to event-driven risk and seasonality. Spot shortages occur frequently throughout the country – sometimes it’s platelets and sometimes it’s red blood cells. These products have extremely short shelf lives, and many are temperature sensitive. Platelets for example, are good for only three to four days post production. A lot of work goes into maintaining a safe and adequate blood supply.
