The Blood and Tissue Center of Central Texas (BTC) procures approximately 300 donors each year. This number is steadily increasing as BTC increases partnerships with other tissue recovery programs. The Blood and Tissue Center of Central Texas main facility is located in Austin, Texas with satellite offices in Corpus Christi, TX and another facility in Austin, TX. BTC provided hospitals and other healthcare facilities with approximately 11,000 grafts in 2003. BTC is one of the few Tissue Centers that has the capacity to procure, process, and distribute tissue. All donors procured for and by BTC are processed at the main campus located in Austin.

Ensuring our customers a safe and quality tissue graft is the cornerstone of our business. In order to ensure a safe product, BTC has established and adheres to Standard Operating Procedures. In addition to this BTC has maintained accreditation from the American Association Of Tissue Banks (AATB) since the 1986. The Blood and Tissue center complies with guidelines and regulation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Occupational Health and Safety Agency, (OSHA), and several other state and local health regulatory agencies. The Spring of 2005 will mark the implementation of Current Good Tissue Practices(cGTP) and BTC will be ready to adhere to those practices once implemented.

BTC Staff includes Certified Tissue Bank Specialists with extensive tissue banking experience.

BTC Bank Staff includes professional staff with extensive medical device, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industry experience.

BTC has a Quality Control Department to oversee storage units, testing requirements, water system maintenance, review of documentation, and internal audits.

With our diversified staff BTC is on the cutting edge of technology and well equipped to handle new trends and regulations affecting the tissue banking industry.

When a death occurs in a hospital, they are required by federal law to report the death to a referral line for donation. In turn, the call is triaged to the donor agencies that are contracted to service that particular hospital with donor services. Referral calls may also originate from a medical examiner, justice of the peace or even a funeral director.

BTC’s highly trained and professional staff operates on an on-call basis 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The donor coordinator then does a preliminary screening for medical suitability, based on the information first received from the referral agent.

Every potential donor must pass a thorough Quality Assurance process. Comprehensive medical and social histories are required for every donor. The potential donor is screened for suitability based on medical history, age and other criteria set forth by our Medical Director. If additional information is needed we will consult with physicians, medical staff and family members to acquire the needed information. We will exclude donors, which may be unsuitable due to transmissible diseases, infections, malignancy, toxic exposure, IV drug abuse, HIV, autoimmune disease and any high-risk behavior. We are very careful about the donors we elect to recover, process and distribute. It is our mission to furnish only the safest high quality tissue for transplant.

Once a thorough screening of the potential donor has been accomplished and we are confident this is a suitable donor, a highly trained donor coordinator will then contact the legal next-of-kin to discuss the option of donation. The responsibility of the requestor is to provide as much information as necessary for families to make an informed decision without exerting pressure or bias. In all cases the family decides what will or will not be donated. If we determine that the family is not comfortable with their decision to donate, we will not encourage or coerce the donation rather we support the family, their feelings, and make ourselves available to assist them in any way possible.

Consent may be obtained in person or may be obtained and recorded by telephone.

For families who have not discussed donation in advance, this can be a very difficult time. We encourage everyone to learn the facts about donation, make a personal choice and discuss it with their loved ones so their wishes may be carried out. Our hope is that you will share your life and share your decision.