Marsh Regional Blood Center
Our Past
Since establishing the region’s first independent blood bank at Kingsport’s Holston Valley Community Hospital in 1947, our goal has been to collect and maintain a blood supply to meet local needs. Through generous support from donors, this blood bank grew steadily over the years and in 1987 was officially named Marsh Regional Blood Center in honor of Lois Marsh, its founder and supervisor for forty years.
Through the years, MRBC has achieved notable milestones:
- 1952 – first accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks
- 1991 – added a satellite collection facility, the Community Blood Bank of Norton, which was established in 1953 to serve hospitals in Southwest Virginia
- 1996 – gained Bristol’s blood bank, becoming its third fixed donation center
- 2006 – transitioned the Community Blood Bank of Norton into a mobile collection facility utilizing three bloodmobiles
Today
Marsh Regional Blood Center operates as an independent blood bank that provides a safe and affordable blood supply to all Wellmont Health System hospitals and other medical facilities in the region. Each year MRBC collects, processes, tests and stores approximately 25,000 units of blood and blood products, serving sixteen hospitals in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
MRBC resources include:
- a donation center, processing center, and blood bank in Kingsport
- a donation center in Bristol
- three bloodmobiles providing remote collection opportunities at businesses, churches, and civic organizations
Accreditations
Marsh Regional Blood Center is a member of the American Association of Blood Banks and the Tennessee Association of Blood Banks, and is a federally inspected and licensed blood center through the FDA. For information about these groups and other resources, use the links below.
American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) - www.aabb.org
Food & Drug Administration (FDA) - www.fda.gov
Tennessee Association of Blood Banks (TABB) - www.tabbonline.org