Plasma Donation

Well, that question has already been answered right here (post #61). Please take a moment to actually read through the thread. 😉

velvetangler3 said:I'm still not sure if you actually get a signature in the booklet?

My guess is that if you go to Rockefeller Boulevard—you know, where they actually pay you—they don't give you that official signature for your volunteer record. But over at Petrov 3, they’ll give you the signature in the book to count toward your voluntary hours, even though there's no payout. Am I hitting the nail on the head there, Nicholas Myers? Thanks.

Betty Ramos3 said:My guess is that if you go to Rockefeller Boulevard—you know, where they actually pay you—they don't give you that official signature for your volunteer record. But over at Petrov 3, they’ll give you the signature in the book to count toward your voluntary hours, even though there's no payout. Am I hitting the nail on the head there, Nicholas Myers? Thanks.

Since you called me out—not necessarily to confirm your point, but to highlight my misunderstanding of how plasma donation logistics work, which was fair—I’ll respond this way.

Given that I was moderating during my shift with limited time, I didn't mean to imply that the question had been answered outside of those specific posts (which focus on Rockefeller Boulevard). An answer was partially provided in this post as well, which is part of this thread.

To be fair, there isn't an explicit answer regarding the record-keeping in the donor booklet here, and the post I suggested looking at pertains specifically to Rockefeller Boulevard. So, you were right to call me out; the information in my recommendation doesn't actually address the core question asked.

And frankly, I don't personally know what gets recorded or where, so let me be clear: I'm not using my moderator duties as an excuse. I simply don't have the answer to that question.

My apologies to velvetangler3, my mistake!

Regardless, I ask that we avoid repetitive posts raising the exact same issue in such short succession. Please exercise some patience and wait for a response. In my view, waiting a few days for an inquiry to be addressed is a reasonable timeframe.

velvetangler3 said:I'm still not sure if you actually get a signature in the booklet?

So, to summarize the situation... at the plasma center on Rockefeller Boulevard, they don't actually record anything in a donor card like they do when you're donating whole blood...
You also can't donate plasma if you're a regular whole blood donor. The only exception would be if someone donated blood in the past, but enough time has passed since then that they aren't planning on returning to whole blood donation while they focus on being a plasma donor...

Just a quick reminder... plasma donors are only accepted if they intend to come in regularly. They really look for that commitment to showing up consistently...
Unfortunately, space is quite limited... 😢 If someone had the will to invest in this, I truly believe it would pay off. We could develop a high-demand export product since there is so much interest in voluntary blood donation... Even if they decide to keep the age limit for those under 30...

As far as I know, they still aren't taking anyone new, but since they told Elizabeth King31's friend that they might be accepting people again... 🤷

Elizabeth King31 said:Well, they finally got back to my friend. They told us to reach out this month. 🙂
@rustymason92 - honestly, I think that kind of thing only happens in Washington, D.C....

Did you guys make it there? Did they end up letting you in...

They called yesterday, told us to check back in two weeks. Great. -.-

Look, sorry for bumping this old thread, but I gotta know—is there anywhere else in Washington, D.C. where you can donate plasma besides the voluntary spot at Petrov 3 where I was today? And obviously, I'm talking about the places that actually pay, right?

Why on earth is it such an uphill battle to check the topic history before posting... 🙂
The answer was already provided in the two posts above yours.

Does the facility on Rockefeller Boulevard accept voluntary plasma donations at the end of the street? Are you absolutely certain it's specifically plasma they're looking for? I was under the impression they only accepted whole blood there...
Someone asked earlier if there were any locations for voluntary plasma donation where no monetary compensation is given, and instead, it just goes toward your donor card.

Alright, does anyone know if they have a website over at Rockefeller Boulevard? Is there some kind of central hub where all that info lives, maybe an email or a contact number? That’s what I’m trying to figure out here.

hollowcanyon56 said:Why on earth is it such an uphill battle to check the topic history before posting... 🙂
The answer was already provided in the two posts above yours.

Does the facility on Rockefeller Boulevard accept voluntary plasma donations at the end of the street? Are you absolutely certain it's specifically plasma they're looking for? I was under the impression they only accepted whole blood there...
Someone asked earlier if there were any locations for voluntary plasma donation where no monetary compensation is given, and instead, it just goes toward your donor card.

They do.
In addition to "whole blood," they collect plasma and platelets at that location...

Michelle Evans said:They do.
In addition to "whole blood," they collect plasma and platelets at that location...

Are the rules any different than what they do at the Institute of Immunology? Like, is there an age limit, or does it cost more, or is the whole process different?

Brenda Allen27 said:Are the rules any different than what they do at the Institute of Immunology? Like, is there an age limit, or does it cost more, or is the whole process different?

I'm not sure what the restrictions are over at the Institute, but at Petrov, you're basically giving away plasma and platelets. They give you a meal and maybe a little fridge magnet... 😁

So, from what I’m reading, the Institute of Immunology won't even take anyone over 30... I guess the whole voluntary blood donation thing is fine, but I don't see the logic behind paying an "expense fee" when you could just go through the Institute. 😕

Brenda Allen27 said:So, from what I’m reading, the Institute of Immunology won't even take anyone over 30... I guess the whole voluntary blood donation thing is fine, but I don't see the logic behind paying an "expense fee" when you could just go through the Institute. 😕

I'm not quite following the part about market logic...

At Petrov 3, any donation is registered as voluntary and goes straight into your donor record. There isn't any cash involved, whether you're donating blood, plasma, or cell components. What you can get is a day off work, and after enough donations, you might qualify for perks like free public transit or waived co-pays at the clinic...

There aren't age limits for those over 30, though there are other requirements based on your health profile. Also, I believe you need to hit a certain number of donations before you can move to plasma separation. They'll clarify all that once you arrive...

As far as I'm concerned, I've done over 30 voluntary blood donations, so I know the drill. 🙂 Last time I was there, I noticed two guys hanging around, but I didn't realize what they were up to then—it was during a plasma donation, which is still kind of new to me. From what I've been reading, the Institute of Immunology doesn't let anyone over 30 donate, though they actually pay people for it. If there's money involved, I guess it means there's some kind of market competition going on, because why would anyone do it for free if they could get paid? Sadly, it feels like fewer people are willing to step up and sacrifice like that these days (I mean, you can only donate blood maybe four times a year, which isn't even close to the 40 times you can do plasma, so it's not really comparable).

Brenda Allen27 said:As far as I'm concerned, I've done over 30 voluntary blood donations, so I know the drill. 🙂 Last time I was there, I noticed two guys hanging around, but I didn't realize what they were up to then—it was during a plasma donation, which is still kind of new to me. From what I've been reading, the Institute of Immunology doesn't let anyone over 30 donate, though they actually pay people for it. If there's money involved, I guess it means there's some kind of market competition going on, because why would anyone do it for free if they could get paid? Sadly, it feels like fewer people are willing to step up and sacrifice like that these days (I mean, you can only donate blood maybe four times a year, which isn't even close to the 40 times you can do plasma, so it's not really comparable).

Maybe it's just because doing good feels rewarding enough? That happens more often than you'd think. I used to donate back when I was under 30—the cutoff at the Rockefeller facility—even though I knew plasma could be sold. It never appealed to me since I didn't need the money. I hope I'm not the only one who thinks this way, otherwise, the world is truly in trouble...🤷

The reason Petrov doesn't pay for donations is so people won't hide medical facts just to chase a paycheck and put others at risk.
As for why they'd pay at the Rockefeller location... I haven't a clue.

I mean, what is there even to hide? If people started acting like that, they’d basically just be shooting themselves in the foot. Your blood gets tested every single time you show up to donate plasma—that’s just how it works—and the plasma itself goes through the same scrutiny. Plus, someone who hasn't donated a drop of blood in their entire life can still go in and donate plasma. At the Rockefeller center, they actually pay you because, let's face it, there is massive money to be made revolving around plasma. From what I gather, it's used for manufacturing all sorts of medications, though maybe there are other uses too. These $50 you get as compensation isn't nearly as much as what the healthcare system rakes in from us donors. There are a few people out there who donate for free, I guess, but if those folks at Rockefeller stopped offering payment, we'd be looking at a massive shortage pretty fast.

It feels somewhat paradoxical that such massive amounts of capital circulate through high-end pharmaceuticals and plasma-derived products, yet there isn't a significant increase in investment for the plasmaferesis department itself.
They are constantly running low on kits, testing supplies, or even the funds needed to compensate donors; because of this, they can't even tap into the full capacity of their existing facilities. They’re essentially stuck using just one out of two available rooms, and while they have several plasma separation machines, most sit idle because they lack sufficient federal funding to bring in more donors.
Both the government and the donors would ultimately benefit if they simply invested a bit more heavily into the infrastructure...

Can someone tell me—just out of curiosity—is the weighing process required every single visit, or does it just happen the first time we check in?

Just for the first time, and maybe during the systematic follow-ups later on, like... in about a year.

By the way, why do you ask? Are they taking on new people again? I've been out of the loop for a few weeks because of some allergies...

I'm asking because I’d love to go—though I’m not sure if they're currently accepting donors. My weight fluctuates quite a bit—anywhere from 118 to nearly 132 pounds—so I figured I might actually put on a little weight if I started donating—but I wouldn't want them to turn me away if my weight happens to dip in the meantime 😁
btw, maybe this sounds like a silly question, but what's the deal with having a period? I assume you aren't allowed to go during those days?