A turbine blade with a generally hollow airfoil having an outer wall that defines at least one radially extending chamber for receiving the flow of a coolant, the airfoil including a leading edge that resides in an upstream or forward direction, a trailing edge that resides in a downstream or aft direction, a convex suction side, and a concave pressure side, the turbine blade comprising: a plurality of inserts (140,141,142,143,144,145,146) disposed within the chamber that are configured to initially receive at least a portion of the coolant entering the chamber and direct a substantial portion of the coolant through a plurality of insert apertures toward the inner surface of the outer wall; wherein the inserts (140,141,142,143,144,145,146) are configured to form at least one inward bleed channel and a central collector passage into which the inward bleed channel flows; characterized in that: at least two inserts (141,142,143) are disposed on the pressure side of the chamber and define at least one inward bleed channel that begins near outer wall of the pressure side and extends to a position near the center of the chamber; at least two inserts (144,145,146) are disposed on the suction side of the chamber and define at least one inward bleed channel that begins near outer wall of the suction side and extends to a position near the center of the chamber; the at least two inserts (141,142,143) on the pressure side of the chamber and the at least two inserts (144,145,146) on the suction side of the chamber are spaced apart such that each opposes the other across the central collector passage. a plurality of inserts (140,141,142,143,144,145,146) disposed within the chamber that are configured to initially receive at least a portion of the coolant entering the chamber and direct a substantial portion of the coolant through a plurality of insert apertures toward the inner surface of the outer wall; wherein the inserts (140,141,142,143,144,145,146) are configured to form at least one inward bleed channel and a central collector passage into which the inward bleed channel flows; characterized in that: at least two inserts (141,142,143) are disposed on the pressure side of the chamber and define at least one inward bleed channel that begins near outer wall of the pressure side and extends to a position near the center of the chamber; at least two inserts (144,145,146) are disposed on the suction side of the chamber and define at least one inward bleed channel that begins near outer wall of the suction side and extends to a position near the center of the chamber; the at least two inserts (141,142,143) on the pressure side of the chamber and the at least two inserts (144,145,146) on the suction side of the chamber are spaced apart such that each opposes the other across the central collector passage. at least two inserts (141,142,143) are disposed on the pressure side of the chamber and define at least one inward bleed channel that begins near outer wall of the pressure side and extends to a position near the center of the chamber; at least two inserts (144,145,146) are disposed on the suction side of the chamber and define at least one inward bleed channel that begins near outer wall of the suction side and extends to a position near the center of the chamber; the at least two inserts (141,142,143) on the pressure side of the chamber and the at least two inserts (144,145,146) on the suction side of the chamber are spaced apart such that each opposes the other across the central collector passage.