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Donate Blood

Donating Blood Is an Easy Way to Help Patients at WJMC.

You can donate the lifesaving gift of blood at one of several donation centers offered by our partners at The Blood Center.

Who can donate?

Healthy individuals 16 years or older and weighing at least 110 pounds are eligible to donate blood. (16 year old must weigh at least 130 pounds and have signed parental consent.)

Click here for a list of blood donations locations near you.

Specific eligibility criteria is based on FDA regulations and changes periodically. When you come in to donate, The Blood Center’s highly-trained staff will conduct a detailed interview to determine if you are eligible. For general information, please see the deferral guidelines.

Preparing to donate

It’s important that your iron, or hemoglobin, levels are sufficient prior to donating. Click here to read more about how to "pump up your iron" before donating.

Donors are encouraged to eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of fluids before and after donating. Please remember to bring a picture I.D. In order to maintain a healthy and stable community blood supply, The Blood Center must collect between 300 to 350 pints of blood every day.

Donors have several options when donating blood to help others, such as:

  • Blood Assurance: Donors selecting the Blood Assurance option receive unlimited blood coverage for each beneficiary (up to four), determined by the donor for one year after donation. Coverage includes unlimited reimbursement for all blood components after insurance pays policy limits, including apheresis components, transfused anywhere in the United States, but excludes commercially prepared plasma derivatives and coagulation factors.
  • The Blood Replacement program supports patients with pre-existing illnesses or those not already covered under the Blood Assurance program. For each pint of blood donated as a replacement for a specific patient, The Blood Center gives a financial donation to the patient to assist with expenses incurred during their hospital stay.
  • From the Heart Club helps send children with cancer and chronic hematologic disorders to a non-profit summer camp known as Camp Challenge.

Additionally, your doctor may suggest an Autologous donation prior to a medical procedure or encourage family and friends to give a Directed Donation. Forms for each donation type are linked.

The Blood Center

The Blood Center is a non-profit community service organization serving UMC and New Orleans. For additional more information on blood donations, please call 800.86.BLOOD or visit TheBloodCenter.org.