Eastman Credit Union provides funding for a new regional mobile blood donation unit
To help Marsh Regional Blood Center keep up with the great need for blood and blood products in the region, Eastman Credit Union (ECU) has donated $295,000 to the Ballad Health Foundation for the purchase of a new mobile collection unit for Marsh.
Marsh serves the Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia area as the sole provider of blood for Ballad Health hospitals, and depends on donations to meet the community’s need.
“We are so grateful for ECU’s generosity and can’t thank them enough for this incredible gift,” said Don Campbell, director of Marsh Regional. “Giving the gift of life is such a special thing, and this new mobile collection unit will help Marsh grow even more to meet the need of our community.”
This new collection unit is the second one provided by ECU. Three years ago, they donated $250,000 to replace an older collection unit. The new 40-foot, four-bed unit will operate five days a week for 52 weeks per year, and will be able to collect 35 units per day. Since 2016, the first unit provided by ECU has served 15,000 donors, and collected 30,000 units of blood.
“It’s part of ECU’s philosophy to give back to the communities we serve,” said Olan O. Jones, Jr., CEO and president of ECU. “Marsh Regional touches the lives of everyone within our membership area. Either you or somebody you know has been impacted by the work Marsh Regional does. It’s an honor to be able to provide a new mobile unit that will help to make a difference all around the region.”
Marsh Regional’s services span a 7,000 square mile service area with its fleet of four vehicles, soon to be five. Wholly-owned by Ballad Health, the blood center is the sole provider of blood to 28 regional medical facilities, all local cancer centers, and five air rescue bases in Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky.
“We are so grateful to ECU for providing this essential unit that helps us save lives with a gift from one compassionate person to a neighbor in need,” said Campbell.
In addition to visiting a mobile collection unit, community members are welcome to visit Marsh’s Bristol, Kingsport and Johnson City locations to make a donation.
ECU has 27 locations and serves approximately 225,000 members in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Visit any location, or www.ecu.org, to learn more about how ECU improves the lives of members and the communities they serve.
Learn more about Marsh at marshblood.com.
