Hoxworth Blood Center Celebrates 10 Years of FACT Accreditation

Hoxworth Blood Center at the University of Cincinnati (UC) is celebrating 10 years of FACT (Foundation of the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy) accreditation. The organization has been recognized for this achievement and for its dedication and commitment to high-quality stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy.

"Please join me in applauding our Cellular Therapy Team lead by Dr. Tom Leemhuis in achieving this milestone honor,” said Ronald Sacher, MD, Hoxworth's director and a professor of medicine and pathology at the UC College of Medicine.  "The hard work and dedication of this team is helping to advance medical treatment and save lives in the Tristate every day.”

FACT is a non-profit corporation co-founded in 1994 by the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) and the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) for the purposes of voluntary inspection and accreditation in the field of cellular therapy. The major objective of FACT is to promote high-quality patient care and laboratory performance in the belief that a valid accreditation must assess clinical, collection, and the laboratory components of the field.

Accreditation is awarded after successful documentation of compliance with the current standards. A team of inspectors who are qualified by training and experience carry out on-site inspections. The inspection process is quality-oriented and follows the FDA’s rules for current Good Tissue Practice (cGTP).

Hoxworth Blood Center was founded in 1938 and serves 31 hospitals in 17 counties in southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana.  Annually, Hoxworth collects more than 90,000 units of blood from local donors to help save the lives of patients in area hospitals.