4 min read August 2023 — In an interview with Invest:, Martin Landon, CEO of BioBridge Global, talked about navigating economic challenges by focusing on his organization’s position as a leader in advanced therapies and maintaining a conservative approach to borrowing. The implementation of the MasterControl system has digitized and streamlined its quality management processes, resulting in improved consistency and quality across the organization, he said.
How have you been navigating current economic challenges?
We hope to be a leading support organization in the advanced therapies area. We happen to be lucky that we do not have a large debt base and are not affected by some of those things. We also have a conservative approach to borrowing by locking in fixed interest rates at low levels, so we are a little insulated there. The supply chain issue is also affecting everyone, so we are trying to remain proactive by monitoring lead times to make sure we can get the products we need. Because we are in healthcare, we have been lucky in that respect thus far because of the criticality of the products. Because demand for our products and services continues to increase, we are growing our workforce, including our scientific and engineering workforce.
What have been the results of the MasterControl report?
Quality systems involve a lot of documentation and change control management. MasterControl allowed us to digitize many of those records to sort and store them as well as manage the control of changes to records. Our quality management system is now quite extensive and it is a single quality management system across all our operating segments, so it is very consistent across the organization. Training is also consistent as well as terminology and other processes, which has resulted in an improvement in quality. We are inspected almost weekly so we are always audit ready and MasterControl helps us to do that.
What are some of the challenges that the increase in population creates for you?
It is really keeping up with the demand, with supply chain issues still playing a factor. As we continue to grow, sometimes some of our projects get delayed and materials aren’t readily available. The biggest thing really is making sure there is an adequate blood supply for the community. New residents tend to be users of blood before they are donors, so we are always working to educate. We also make it a point to invite donors to continue donating blood as it is a perishable product. The only way to replenish it is to have a regular donor base, so we have to make sure people know how important that is. I try to convince people to donate at least four times a year as that would more than double our blood supply.
What are some of the unique aspects of doing business in San Antonio?
One is our close association with the military as they are always looking for innovative ways to treat wounded soldiers. We are able to collaborate with them, and that is just the spirit in San Antonio: collaboration. An example is the Heroes in Arms program, where we collect type-O positive whole blood to treat trauma patients pre-hospitalization. More than 40 organizations across San Antonio and more than 20 surrounding counties have collaborated to transfer this practice from military to civilian use, making sure that blood is available for trauma patients. Last year, a study published in Annals of Surgery reported that the program has reduced mortality rates by greater than 48%. That model is being used around the country and we are being asked about how to get it up and running.
What is the organizational structure for BioBridge and its subsidiaries?
BioBridge Global is a nonprofit healthcare services organization based in San Antonio. People are probably most familiar with our South Texas Blood & Tissue subsidiary, which provides blood and tissue services to more than 100 hospitals and clinics across 48 counties. In the testing area, we have our QualTex Laboratories subsidiary, and in the area of advanced therapies, we have our newest subsidiary, GenCure. Our organization is preparing to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2024. That’s 50 years dedicated to our mission of saving and enhancing lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue.
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