Lifesouth Community Blood Centers

What Lifesouth Community Blood Centers does

LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community blood supplier founded in 1974 and headquartered in Gainesville, Florida. The organization collects, processes, and distributes blood components — including whole blood, double red cells, platelets, plasma, and autologous units — through a network of permanent donor centers and signature mobile bloodmobiles deployed to schools, businesses, and community events. It supplies more than 200 hospitals in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee, and operates specialty capabilities including four Immunohematology Reference Laboratories (IRLs), a CAP-accredited HLA laboratory, and therapeutic apheresis services performed by trained nursing staff under board-certified transfusion medicine oversight. Its FDA-licensed (since June 2013) and FACT-NETCORD-accredited Cord Blood Bank subsidiary participates in the NMDP Be The Match Registry, and the Special Antigen Unit (SAU) program genotypes tens of thousands of donors annually to produce nearly 500 antigen-negative units per week, including rare red cell phenotypes critical for sickle cell disease patients.

LifeSouth generates revenue primarily through per-unit blood product sales and specialty laboratory fees charged to hospitals, supplemented by therapeutic apheresis procedure fees and a CAAHEP-accredited Specialist in Blood Banking (SBB) certificate program priced at $6,000 per year. Hospitals order through the proprietary HemaControl online portal, while donor recruitment is supported by a mobile app, the Sickle Cell Hero matching program, K-12 education initiatives, and the LifeSouth Community Foundation. The go-to-market model is community-led: brand visibility and donor acquisition are driven by patient storytelling, school partnerships, mobile blood drives, and the donor app rather than traditional B2B sales. Wholly-owned subsidiaries — LifeSouth Cord Blood Bank, LifeSouth Community Foundation, and LifeSouth Research Institute — extend the operating model into stem cell transplantation, youth engagement, and clinical research. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, consistent with non-profit status.

The organization holds a multi-layered regulatory footprint: FDA licensure for cord blood manufacturing (fifth nationwide), FACT-NETCORD, AABB, CAP, CLIA, and CAAHEP accreditations. Leadership comprises President & CEO Kimberly E. Kinsell, CFO Daniel R. Galasso, COO J.D. Pettyjohn, Chief Quality and Technology Officer Lori Masingil, and General Counsel Krisanne Russell, with a volunteer board chaired by Owen Bailey. There has been no M&A activity disclosed; growth is organic and centered on service-line expansion (cord blood, specialty labs, therapeutic apheresis, professional education) and fixed-site collection capacity.

Name

Lifesouth Community Blood Centers

Legal name

LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, Inc.

Website

https://lifesouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

LifeSouth Community Blood Centers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1974 that collects, processes, and distributes blood components and specialty laboratory services to 200+ hospitals across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee, with subspecialty capabilities in cord blood banking, immunohematology reference testing, and therapeutic apheresis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine Services

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations (BPAGACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Community blood banking
• Hospital blood supply
• Immunohematology reference testing
• Cord blood banking
• Therapeutic apheresis services

Headquarters

HQ city

Gainesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Blood Product Sales to Hospitals: As a community blood supplier, LifeSouth generates revenue from supplying blood components to hospitals. Serves more than 200 hospitals in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.
2. Specialty Laboratory Services: Provides immunohematology reference testing, HLA typing, antibody identification, red blood cell genotyping, coagulation testing, and quality control services to hospitals.
3. Therapeutic Apheresis Services: Provides therapeutic procedures including plasma exchange, red blood cell exchange, leukapheresis, and platelet reduction to treating hospitals.
4. Cord Blood Banking: Public cord blood bank collecting and storing umbilical cord blood for stem cell transplantation. Participates in NMDP Be The Match Registry network.
5. SBB Certificate Program: Educational program offering training in blood banking and transfusion medicine. Cost of $6,000 per year, paid in two installments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

LifeSouth Community Blood Centers collects, processes, tests, and distributes blood components and related transfusion medicine services to 200+ hospitals across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. The portfolio spans whole blood, double red cell, platelet, plasma, autologous, and sickle cell-matched donations; cord blood banking; immunohematology reference and HLA laboratory services; therapeutic apheresis; patient blood management consulting; a Specialist in Blood Banking certificate program; and clinical research through the LifeSouth Research Institute.

Product overview

LifeSouth Community Blood Centers operates as a non-profit community blood supplier providing a comprehensive portfolio of blood collection, processing, and distribution services. The core offerings include multiple donation types (whole blood, double red cell, platelets, plasma, sickle cell, cord blood, and autologous donations) collected through fixed donor centers and mobile Bloodmobiles. Hospital services encompass patient blood management, therapeutic apheresis, and specialty laboratory services including immunohematology reference testing and HLA typing. The LifeSouth Blood Donor App serves as the primary digital interface for donors to schedule appointments and access results. Supporting services include the Research Institute for clinical studies, a Specialist in Blood Banking certificate program for professional education, the Community Foundation for youth engagement, and the Cord Blood Bank for stem cell transplantation. The organization serves over 200 hospitals across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LifeSouth Cord Blood Bank: Community-based public cord blood bank collecting and storing umbilical cord blood for clinical cures and research in stem cell transplantation
• LifeSouth Community Foundation
• LifeSouth Research Institute
• Specialist in Blood Banking Certificate Program

Products and services

• Whole Blood Donation Standard blood donation in which collected blood is later separated into red blood cells, platelets, and plasma for patient transfusion; available at LifeSouth donor centers and mobile blood drives.
• Double Red Cell Donation Apheresis procedure allowing donors to safely donate two units of red cells in one appointment; preferred for O, A negative, and B negative blood types.
• Platelet and Plasma Donation Apheresis-based donation of platelets and plasma essential for cancer treatment and clotting functions; platelets available every 7 days, plasma every 4 weeks.
• Autologous Donation Pre-surgical blood collection in which patients donate their own blood prior to scheduled procedures such as joint replacements or complex surgeries.
• Sickle Cell Donation Program (Sickle Cell Hero) Specialized donation program testing donors for matches with sickle cell disease patients, prioritizing race-matched donors to provide compatible transfusions and reduce complications.
• Cord Blood Bank Public cord blood bank collecting and storing umbilical cord blood for stem cell transplantation; affiliated with the NMDP Be The Match Registry and CIBMTR for matching.
• Immunohematology Reference Laboratory (IRL) Services Specialty laboratory testing for hospitals including antibody identification, antigen typing, and rare blood phenotype services across Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.
• HLA Laboratory Services CAP-accredited laboratory performing HLA antigen typing, HLA antibody identification, HPA typing, and platelet crossmatching at the Gainesville, FL headquarters.
• Patient Blood Management Hospital service, in partnership with Transfuse Solutions, providing guidance and expertise on blood transfusion practices and standardized criteria for determining transfusion necessity.
• Therapeutic Apheresis Services Therapeutic procedures including plasma exchange, red blood cell exchange, leukapheresis, and platelet reduction for conditions such as sickle cell disease, TTP, and Guillain-Barre syndrome, delivered at partner hospital facilities.
• Bloodmobile Mobile Collection Service Mobile blood collection using signature red, white, and blue Bloodmobiles that travel to schools, businesses, and community events to host blood drives.
• LifeSouth Research Institute Research program enabling blood donors and ineligible individuals to participate in clinical research studies on autoimmune disease, cancer, heart disease, and other conditions to advance blood safety and transfusion medicine.
• Specialist in Blood Banking (SBB) Certificate Program Online 12-month CAAHEP-accredited certificate program training blood banking and transfusion medicine professionals for the ASCP SBB certification exam, with a 100% pass rate for 2022-2025 graduates; tuition $6,000 per year paid in two installments.
• LifeSouth Blood Donor App Mobile application enabling blood donors to make donation appointments, find blood drives or donor centers, check eligibility, view wellness test results, and track donation history.
• I Am the Donation Generation (School Education Program) School-aged education program teaching the science of blood donation and social responsibility through hands-on interactive elements aligned with state standards; includes high school scholarship program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 500 antigen-negative units provided per week through Special Antigen Unit program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Be The Match RegistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLifeSouth Cord Blood Bank participates in the network of public cord blood banks affiliated with the NMDP Be The Match Registry and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), facilitating stem cell transplantation matching.
• Transfuse SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLifeSouth partners with Transfuse Solutions to provide guidance and expertise in blood transfusion as a service to hospitals. Transfuse Solutions assists with patient blood management systems and best practices.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Regional players

• Hoxworth Blood Center: Hoxworth Blood Center, affiliated with the University of Cincinnati, supplies blood products to hospitals in the Greater Cincinnati area. It is comparable as a regional blood center with community donor collection and hospital transfusion support.
• Carter BloodCare: Carter BloodCare is a nonprofit blood center serving hospitals and donors in North, Central and East Texas. It is comparable as a regional community blood supplier with donor centers, mobile drives and hospital blood-product distribution.
• Versiti: Versiti operates blood centers, diagnostic laboratories and organ/tissue-related services across several U.S. regions. It is comparable because it combines hospital blood supply with specialty transfusion medicine and laboratory services similar to LifeSouth’s IRL and HLA offerings.
• Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center: Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is a nonprofit blood center supplying hospitals in the Texas Gulf Coast region. It is comparable because it operates a community donor and hospital supply model similar to LifeSouth, albeit in a different geography.

Direct peers

• OneBlood: OneBlood is a nonprofit blood center supplying blood products to hospitals across Florida and the broader Southeast. It is highly comparable because it uses community donor recruitment, fixed sites and mobile drives to serve hospital transfusion needs in overlapping regional markets.
• The Blood Connection: The Blood Connection is a nonprofit community blood center serving hospitals in the Carolinas, Georgia and surrounding markets. It is comparable because it relies on community donors, mobile blood drives and direct hospital blood-product supply.
• Blood Assurance: Blood Assurance is a nonprofit regional blood center serving hospitals in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and nearby states. It is directly comparable to LifeSouth because both operate community blood collection and hospital supply networks in the Southeast.

Broad incumbents

• New York Blood Center Enterprises: New York Blood Center Enterprises is a large blood center network with blood collection, laboratory, cell therapy and research capabilities. It is comparable through hospital blood supply and advanced transfusion-related services, though it primarily serves different geographies.
• Vitalant: Vitalant is a large nonprofit blood services provider with nationwide collection operations, transfusion support and specialized laboratory capabilities. It is comparable as a blood supplier to hospitals, but operates at a broader national scale than LifeSouth.
• American Red Cross Biomedical Services: American Red Cross Biomedical Services is one of the largest U.S. blood collection and blood-product supply organizations. It is comparable as a broad incumbent serving hospital blood needs nationally, though its scale and portfolio are broader than LifeSouth’s regional model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lifesouth
• Facebookfacebook.com/lifesouth
• Instagraminstagram.com/lifesouth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/798363

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Lifesouth Community Blood Centers