Minority Outreach
Meeting the needs of our population
The South Texas Blood & Tissue Center serves 43 ethnically diverse counties in South Texas.
While blood donations from all ethnic groups are valuable, chronically transfused patients often develop antibodies, requiring us to match blood products much more precisely for them.
When a patient requires a rare blood type, it is more likely that a match will be found within donors of the same ethnicity.
This is why it is essential to increase participation from donors of diverse backgrounds and to encourage donors to provide us with their ethnicity each time they donate.
Reaching out
STBTC has launched two outreach campaigns to help serve the needs of patients across South Texas. 
Donar Sangre es Donar Vida sets out to increase participation from Latino donors through unity, health and action.
Because STBTC’s service area is 55% Hispanic/Latino, increasing the level of Hispanic/Latino donors helps us be better prepared to fulfill the needs of over 100 hospitals and clinics in the area.
Learn more about Donar Sangre es Donar Vida.
We Are the Answer is a program designed to raise awareness among the African-American community on the importance of blood donation and marrow registration for sickle cell patients.
Because sickle cell disease affects African-Americans at a larger scale than any other ethnic group, more African-American blood donors are needed to meet the needs of these chronically transfused patients. With more African-Americans registering to Be The Match, African-American patients have a better chance of finding a marrow match for transplant.
STBTC partners with the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital to provide the community information on sickle cell disease and what you can do to help join the cause.
For more information on these programs, please contact the Community Relations Department via e-mail or call 210.731.5519.