Rhode Island Blood Center

What Rhode Island Blood Center does

Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC) is a nonprofit community blood center founded in 1979 and headquartered at 405 Promenade Street, Providence, Rhode Island. Since 2019 it has operated as a division of New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe). RIBC collects whole blood, double red cells, platelets, and plasma from volunteer donors through five permanent donation centers across Rhode Island and one in Middletown, CT, supplemented by an extensive mobile blood drive network. Collected units are processed, tested (including the only full-service infectious disease testing laboratory in New England, using serological and NAAT methods), and distributed to over 60 hospitals across Rhode Island and Southern New England, with 24/7 ordering via the BloodHub platform.

RIBC's product portfolio spans core blood components (Leukocyte Reduced Red Blood Cells, Apheresis Platelets, Pathogen Reduced Platelets, Fresh Frozen Plasma, Cryoprecipitate), specialty laboratory services (Immunohematology Reference Laboratory with antigen-negative inventory and genotyping; HLA laboratory supporting organ transplant programs), therapeutic apheresis performed at partner hospitals, stem cell collection for the National Marrow Donor Program, and educational programs (MLS/MLT clinical rotations, transfusion medicine consultation). In 2025 the organization launched the Donor Plus mobile app for donor scheduling and tracking, and partnered with Cumberland EMS on Rhode Island's first pre-hospital whole blood transfusion program.

Revenue is generated primarily through contracted blood product sales to hospitals (pricing undisclosed), fee-based laboratory testing services for external blood centers, research facilities, and HCT/P collection centers, therapeutic apheresis professional services, and voluntary financial donations to the 501(c)(3). Go-to-market combines direct hospital sales via dedicated representatives, community-led donor recruitment through blood drives at schools, businesses, and community organizations, and direct-to-consumer digital channels including the donor portal and mobile app. The organization holds FDA licensure, AABB and FACT accreditations, CLIA certification, and state licenses across RI, CT, NY, PA, CA, and Maryland.

Name

Rhode Island Blood Center

Legal name

Rhode Island Blood Center

Website

https://ribc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Rhode Island Blood Center is a nonprofit community blood center and division of NYBCe that collects, tests, and distributes blood products to over 60 hospitals across Rhode Island and Southern New England through five donation centers, mobile drives, and the only full-service infectious disease testing laboratory in New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine Services

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991), Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations (BPAGACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology (Blood Bank) (HLAFAMAG), Blood Bank, Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology (HLAHAAAH), Cell & Tissue Banking (biobanking, cord blood/tissue) (HLAAAGAE)

Keywords

• Blood collection services
• Blood product supply
• Clinical laboratory testing
• Hospital blood banking
• Donor center operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Blood Products Sales: RIBC collects blood from volunteer donors and distributes blood products (red blood cells, platelets, plasma, cryoprecipitate) to hospitals. Products are provided under contracted pricing agreements with hospital customers. The organization provides a complete inventory of blood products including specialized products like pathogen-reduced platelets, irradiated products, and antigen-negative units.
2. Laboratory Testing Services: RIBC operates the only full-service testing laboratory of its kind in New England. Provides infectious disease testing services for other blood collection programs, hospitals with donation centers, research facilities, and HCT/P collection centers. Testing includes infectious disease screening, reference testing, and HLA testing.
3. Specialized Blood Products for Research: Provides blood products for life-saving research and diagnostic use including whole blood, leukoreduced products, frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, Buffy Coats, and various samples to research facilities.
4. Therapeutic Apheresis Services: Therapeutic treatments for patients in local hospitals, including therapeutic apheresis which involves removing abnormal components or cells from the blood and returning healthy cells to the patient.
5. Financial Donations: Accepts financial gifts from supporters to help fund operations and mission. Donations support lifesaving care, research, and blood supply for those in need. Tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC) collects whole blood, double red cells, platelets, and plasma from volunteer donors through five permanent donor centers in Rhode Island, one center in Middletown, CT, and mobile blood drives. Collected units are processed, tested, and distributed as a complete inventory of blood products (leukocyte-reduced red blood cells, apheresis platelets, pathogen-reduced platelets, fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, and specialized antigen-negative units) to over 60 hospitals in Rhode Island and Southern New England. RIBC also operates the only full-service infectious disease testing laboratory of its kind in New England, an Immunohematology Reference Laboratory, and an HLA Laboratory supporting local organ transplant programs, plus therapeutic apheresis services for hospital patients.

Product overview

Rhode Island Blood Center operates as a non-profit community blood center providing a comprehensive portfolio of blood collection and healthcare services. The core offerings include four main blood donation types (Whole Blood, Double Red Cells, Platelets, Plasma) collected through five fixed donor centers and mobile drives across Rhode Island and Southern New England. These donations are processed and distributed through Hospital Services which provides a complete inventory of blood products to over 60 hospitals. Supporting infrastructure includes a state-of-the-art Donor Testing Laboratory (the main testing facility in New England) and an Immunohematology Reference Laboratory for antigen-screened blood and patient workups. The organization also operates customer portals (BloodHub for ordering, BloodBill for payments), a Donor Plus mobile app for appointment scheduling, and five distinct loyalty programs (All Seasons Lifesaver, Twice the Hero, Platelet Pact, Plasma Champion, Universal Lifesaver) to incentivize regular donations. Educational offerings encompass MLS/MLT program support, clinical rotations, and medical consultation services. RIBC serves as a division of New York Blood Center Enterprises.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Whole Blood Donation Blood donation service where approximately one pint of whole blood is collected and later separated into components (red blood cells, platelets, and plasma) for distribution to hospitals. For healthy adult donors aged 17+.
• Double Red Cell Donation Automated apheresis-based blood donation that collects two units of red blood cells during a single donation, returning plasma and platelets to the donor. For eligible double red cell donors (O+, O-, A-, B-).
• Platelet Donation Apheresis-based donation that collects only platelets, essential for blood clotting and used primarily for cancer patients and other transfusion needs. Donations can be made every 7 days, up to 24 times per year.
• Plasma Donation Apheresis-based donation that collects plasma containing proteins and antibodies, used to treat burn victims, premature babies, accident victims, and people with immune disorders. Can donate every 28 days.
• Hospital Services - Blood Products Supply of a complete inventory of blood products to hospitals, including Leukocyte Reduced Red Blood Cells, Leukocyte Reduced Apheresis Platelets, Pathogen Reduced Platelets, Fresh Frozen Plasma, Cryoprecipitate, and pooled products. Also provides specialized options such as irradiated products, CMV-negative units, and antigen-negative units for complex patient needs.
• Therapeutic Apheresis Services Therapeutic treatments for patients in local hospitals, involving removal of abnormal components or cells from the blood and returning healthy cells to the patient.
• Transfusion Medicine Services Consultative services supporting hospitals with blood usage management and transfusion medicine expertise, provided through NYBCe physicians recognized as nation's leading experts in transfusion medicine.
• Donor Testing Laboratory Infectious disease testing services for donated blood using both serological and Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT) molecular methods, performed for other blood collection programs, hospitals with donation centers, research facilities, and HCT/P collection centers. The only full-service testing laboratory of its kind in New England.
• Immunohematology Reference Laboratory (IRL) Specialty laboratory providing antigen screened red blood cells, patient workups, and state-of-the-art genotyping services. Maintains an extensive inventory of antigen-negative blood available 24/7 for hospitals serving patients with complex transfusion needs.
• Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (HLA) Laboratory Testing laboratory supporting local organ transplant programs with patient and platelet HLA typing, providing match platelets for local hospitals.
• Donor Plus Mobile App Mobile application enabling blood donors to easily schedule appointments, track their donation history, and manage their donor profile. Available on Apple App Store and Google Play.
• BloodHub Hospital Ordering Platform Online portal enabling hospitals to order blood products and services 24/7, 365 days/year.
• BloodBill Payment Portal Online portal for processing payments for blood products and services purchased by hospitals.
• MLS/MLT Educational Programs Educational support services for Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) and Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) program students, including extended tours, department observations, and hands-on experience at RIBC facilities.
• Clinical Rotations Hands-on clinical rotations for Specialist in Blood Banking (SBB) program individuals, including donor center activities and specialized immunohematology reference laboratory testing experience.
• Medical Consultation Services Staff development and medical consultation services including blood usage management, provided with NYBCe physicians who are recognized as leading experts in transfusion medicine.
• Pre-Hospital Whole Blood Transfusion Program Pre-hospital whole blood transfusion program launched in partnership with Cumberland EMS, the first of its kind in Rhode Island. Enables first responders to administer whole blood transfusions in the field, providing hospital-level care before patients reach the hospital.
• Stem Cell Collection Services Stem cell collection services for transplant performed at the Providence location as part of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), supporting local organ transplant programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 units of blood products provided daily to support patient care
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Cumberland EMSflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Cumberland EMS launched Rhode Island's first pre-hospital whole blood program in partnership with RIBC in September 2025. The program enables emergency responders to administer whole blood transfusions in the field, providing hospital-level care before patients reach the hospital. This innovative program has already saved lives including a mother and baby in March 2026.
• New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019In 2019, RIBC merged with NYBCe, becoming a division of this nationally recognized blood center network. NYBCe is internationally recognized for high humanitarian impact including lifesaving blood products, specialty pharmaceuticals, and high-quality clinical, technical, testing, and consultative services. RIBC benefits from shared resources, research capabilities, and network-wide best practices.
• National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRIBC is part of the National Marrow Donor Program and collects stem cells for transplant at its Providence location, supporting local organ transplant programs.
• Lincoln Rescue and Lincoln FireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency response partners involved in coordinated efforts with Cumberland EMS and RIBC for pre-hospital blood transfusion emergencies.
• Blood Centers of America (BCA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRIBC participates in national resource sharing programs through BCA, allowing blood centers to ship and/or receive blood components to maintain optimal blood supplies at all times.
• National Blood ExchangecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRIBC participates in national resource sharing programs through AABB's National Blood Exchange, enabling shipping and receiving of blood components to maintain optimal supplies.
• AABBcoreOthersRIBC is a member of AABB (American Association of Blood Banks), participating in professional standards development and accessing continuing education resources like AABB eCasts for hospital customers.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New York Blood Center: RIBC's parent organization and founding member of NYBCe, operating the largest blood center in the New York metropolitan area with the same full suite of collection, testing, IRL, and HLA services. Directly comparable in mission, product portfolio, and operational model.
• Vitalant: A multi-state nonprofit community blood center serving patients across ~30 states with a similar portfolio of whole blood, platelets, plasma, specialty products, and reference lab services. Closest mid-sized competitor archetype for RIBC's hospital-services business.
• OneBlood: A large nonprofit community blood center serving Florida, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Alabama with full-service collection, processing, and reference lab capabilities. Highly comparable operating model with regional monopoly characteristics similar to RIBC's New England position.
• Memorial Blood Centers: A Minnesota-based nonprofit blood center and fellow NYBCe division, providing whole blood, apheresis, and reference lab services. Sister organization within the NYBCe network with essentially identical capabilities, structure, and hospital customer mix.
• Carter BloodCare: A major Texas-based community blood center serving hundreds of hospitals with collection, processing, donor testing, and reference services. Comparable in scale and full-service scope to RIBC's footprint.
• Blood Bank of Delmarva: A Mid-Atlantic community blood center and NYBCe sister division, operating donor centers and mobile drives with hospital blood product distribution. Operates under the same NYBCe umbrella and accreditation framework as RIBC.
• Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center: A large Texas-based nonprofit community blood center serving the Houston region with collections, component processing, and reference lab services for hospitals. Comparable mid-size-to-large community blood center archetype.
• Connecticut Blood Center: A fellow NYBCe division operating donation centers in Connecticut with the same collection and processing footprint adjacent to RIBC's territory. Effectively a peer division under shared corporate structure with overlapping donor geography.

Broad incumbents

• American Red Cross Biomedical Services: The largest U.S. blood collector, operating across all 50 states with extensive donation centers, mobile drives, and specialty testing. Provides a benchmark for scale, accreditation depth, and national hospital contracting that RIBC competes against in New England.

Regional players

• San Diego Blood Bank: An independent nonprofit community blood center serving Southern California hospitals with collection, processing, and specialized services. Comparable mission and operating model, but operates in a distinct geographic market from RIBC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ribloodcenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/ribloodcenter

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rhode Island Blood Center