Blood Bank to offer Wellness Rewards to donors in 2011

SAN ANTONIO -- The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center (STBTC) is doing our part to bring healthier choices to over 100,000 donors across South Texas.  Beginning in 2011 donors will receive points to redeem for select health screening exams at no cost.

The health screenings include hemoglobin A1C, cholesterol (lipid profile), and prostate cancer (PSA) tests. 

“If every donor took advantage of just one health screening, that would make quite an impact on the overall goal of making South Texas more health conscious” says Dr. Kevin Land, STBTC’s President/CEO and Medical Director. “Current statistics from the CDC show that on average, adult Americans have borderline high risk cholesterol level. The Texas Diabetes Council estimates that over 400,000 people in Texas have undiagnosed diabetes. With statistics like these, health screenings can be a matter of life or death.”

An important part about this program is that donors can “spread the health” and pass their points on to family members or friends so that they can receive a free health screening.

As a health care organization STBTC wants to promote wellness in patients and donors and contribute to the overall health of the community. Working with a donor advisory board, the Center now joins other city-wide health initiatives like Mayor Julian Castro’s “fitness council”- enacted to transform San Antonio into a healthier city.

“It is one of my goals to transform San Antonio into a healthier city,” says Mayor Castro. “I am glad to see the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, as a major partner in our medical community, jumping on board and rewarding their donors with healthier choices. If this can extend to other places in South Texas, all the better.” 

To learn more about STBTC’s Wellness Rewards donors can log onto southtexasblood.org or call 1-800-292-5534.

                                                                        ###