VA: New Freedom Plasma Center Expands to Virginia with Site in Roanoke, Adding Health Job Opportunities

The Roanoke community will be essential in meeting blood-plasma demand as the city welcomes a new Freedom Plasma donation center. The new center is the company's first location in Virginia, and it encourages the Roanoke community to learn more about donating their plasma to help save lives.

The U.S. provides two-thirds of the plasma used worldwide and is one of the few countries that allow healthcare companies to compensate donors financially for their time donating plasma. A community plasma donation center also provides a significant economic boost to the area.

"The new Roanoke center will have an economic impact of around $5 million annually," said Blair McKinney, Chief Operating Officer of ImmunoTek Bio Centers, one of the partner companies that built and will operate the center. "The community initially sees benefits from the construction of the center, then from compensation paid to donors and the creation of healthcare-oriented jobs. It also generates a need for services from local small businesses; plus, our donors know they are helping save lives."

Plasma donated at Freedom Plasma helps meet the worldwide demand for blood-plasma, the golden liquid part of blood used to create life-saving medicines and therapies for people suffering from various diseases and immune disorders. Treating just one patient for a year requires 130 – 1,200 plasma donations from healthy donors, making every donation vital.

"Our donors are making a difference in the lives of people facing life-altering medical conditions. For many of those patients, receiving donated plasma can mean the difference between life and death," said Jerome Parnell III, CEO of ImmunoTek. "Research is currently showing promise in additional uses of plasma therapies in reducing or limiting the effects of Alzheimer's Disease and dementia."

To be eligible to donate plasma, a medical screening is conducted by in-house medical professionals, along with a medical history and physical exam. Donating plasma is much like a blood donation, and plasma is removed from the blood using a safe, sterile, self-contained automated process called plasmapheresis. The donor has the remaining red blood cells returned. Donors can give plasma up to twice a week.

"Seeing local donors walk through the doors of our center makes me so proud to be part of the Roanoke community. Donating plasma is a small investment of time that could make the difference between life or death for someone else," said Gary Stromberg, Center Manager of the Roanoke Freedom Plasma center.