Today we’d like to introduce you to James Hays.
James, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my career with American Red Cross Blood and Tissue Services (ARCTS) in Los Angeles. I had completed training as A Surgical Technologist and accepted a position as a Tissue Specialist. I attained national certification as a Tissue Bank Specialist while at ARCTS. As a Tissue Specialist, I worked with surgical teams responsible for the surgical retrieval or recovery of organs and tissues for transplant. American Red Cross was the largest such organization in the country at the time. I later moved into the National Heart Valve Program as a Cardiovascular Tissue Specialist. We recovered, processed and cryopreserved human heart valves and saphenous veins for transplant. I would later move into management roles as Technical Services Manager as well as Arizona Region Manager. I left the Red Cross after 20 years of service to take the position of Regional Operations Director for American Tissue Services Foundation (ATSF).
After two years, I accepted a position with Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation as National Sports Medicine Specialist. I was an integral part of a team which launched the Cascade Autologous Platelet System. Cascade was utilized by Orthopaedic Surgeons in the US and Germany. After five years, I decided to return to patient care and accepted a position as Tissue Specialist at The Releford Foot and Ankle Center in Inglewood, CA. Dr. William Releford is a renowned specialist in the area of podiatry, wound care and limb salvage. He gave me the ability and freedom to develop platelet based treatments that improved the quality of life for hundreds of his patients. We would later team with Dr. John Simmonds to develop the Plasmagenix Platelet System and Plasmagenix Medical Group. During this time, I would research and develop many other methods for using human platelets to treat various medical conditions. The Plasmagenix technology was later sold. This is what enabled me to form my current company, Plasma Solutions, LLC.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think as a new company, we encounter many of the struggles most small businesses see. You work to develop a product. You find a niche. You have to find a way to out-market your competitors. I have very smart business partners. They are MBAs so many of the marketing and business principles you don’t learn studying the sciences, they know. Best of all they know how to implement them. So we’ve enjoyed much success.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Our company is in the field of biomedical sciences. We provide a system for physicians to use which captures their patient’s own plasma and platelets, which can be activated by our proprietary activation solution. It is injected into the point of injury or condition. Most frequently, it is used to treat injuries to joints, osteoarthritis, muscle and tendon injuries and nerve injuries.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think my biggest career risk was deciding to not continue my career in large biomedical companies. Instead, I chose to return to the clinical setting. The work is physically harder and not as financially rewarding. Next was the decision to go into business on my own.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.plasma.solutions
