Partnership extends LifeSouth’s service to all UF Health hospitals in North Florida
Oct. 26, 2021 — JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — LifeSouth Community Blood Centers has been selected as the official blood provider for UF Health Jacksonville and UF Health North.
This partnership extends LifeSouth’s partnership with UF Health to include all of its hospitals in Gainesville and Jacksonville. Beginning in November, this will also include UF Health Hospitals in Leesburg in Lake County, as well as The Villages in Sumter County
“We are excited to announce this partnership as an integral part of our expansion in Jacksonville, and we are proud to partner with UF Health to ensure a safe blood supply for their patients here in the Northeast Florida community,” said Kimberly E. Kinsell, President and CEO of LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. “This extension of our service as the official blood provider of UF Health builds upon many years of partnership with the health system’s hospitals across the state. We look forward to saving even more local lives in Jacksonville.”
UF Health operates the only adult and pediatric Level 1 trauma program in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. The health system requires a reliable blood supply to treat trauma and emergency patients; blood must be available before an incident to save lives.
“We’re proud to expand our partnership with LifeSouth to include service to our Jacksonville health system,” said Russ Armistead, CEO of UF Health Jacksonville. “Our doctors and patients rely on the generosity of local blood donors to ensure our patients, especially those we serve through our Level I trauma program, receive the best care. LifeSouth has a strong donor base in our community, which is supported by a best-in-class operations team. We’re happy to have LifeSouth as our official blood provider for UF Health Jacksonville.”
LifeSouth now provides blood for approximately 70% of all hospital beds in Northeast Florida. To support its expanded operations, the nonprofit community blood bank has extended the operating hours at its Northeast Florida donor center (located at 7840 Baymeadows Way) to include Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Additionally, the blood bank has opened two new satellite donor centers in Fleming Island (1605 County Road 220, Suite 160) and Julington Creek (445 S.R. 13 N., Suite 25).
The blood bank hosts daily blood drives with businesses, organizations and community groups. Groups that are interested in supporting UF Health’s patients by hosting a blood drive are encouraged to contact Karen Patterson at kjpatterson@lifesouth.org.
For more information, including donor eligibility requirements, donor center hours and blood drive locations, visit LifeSouth.org.
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About LifeSouth:
LifeSouth is a non-profit community blood bank serving more than 125 hospitals in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. LifeSouth is committed to meeting the blood supply needs of hospitals and their patients by providing the highest quality blood components and services. The LifeSouth team is dedicated to making sure the blood is there when a patient is in need. To learn more, visit LifeSouth.org.
About UF Health Jacksonville:
UF Health Jacksonville is a private, not-for-profit hospital affiliated with the University of Florida health campuses in Jacksonville and Gainesville. In Jacksonville, UF Health includes University of Florida faculty, residents, and fellows within the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville, who team up with outstanding caregivers and other employees to provide state-of-the-art services to residents throughout Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. This academic health center’s mission is to heal, to comfort, to educate and to discover, in an environment where exemplary medical care is complemented by outstanding service.
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