Frequently Asked

Tips & Tricks: Finding a Blood Drive Near You

By Julie Ruel, Social Media Manager, Stanford Blood Center

Click here to view this information in an online tutorial.

Visiting a mobile blood drive is a convenient way for busy parents, students, and professionals to keep up with their routine of donating blood without having to travel too far. We come to you so you don’t have to come to us! Accounting for about 55% of the total amount of blood we collect, our drives are hosted at college campuses, high schools, churches, and hundreds of companies in the Valley and up the Peninsula.

Geographically, we cover quite a bit of land. You might spot our bloodmobiles traveling south on 101 to Gilroy, north on 280 to San Francisco, cruising along in downtown San Jose or even parked in a residential neighborhood. Searching for a blood drive in a location that’s convenient for you is easy! Just follow these steps.

1. Browse to https://sbcdonor.org.

2. Click on the advanced search link under “Make an Appointment at a Mobile Blood Drive”.

3. In the middle column, enter your desired zip code.
Note that the search radius is set to a default of 5 miles. You may want to change this to 2 miles to narrow in a bit closer. Leave the donation type as “Any” and the date as today (this will allow you to view all blood drives today, going forward). Click Search.

4. Click on the “Mobiles Only” link.

5. Depending on the zip code entered, you may have many results. To narrow in a bit closer to your desired location, click on the “Sort by Distance” link.

6. Find your preferred blood drive and click on the name.

7. Find your preferred time and click on the "Schedule" link to the right.

Here, you will be prompted to log on to your account. Click OK.

8. A. Enter your donor ID number. This can be found on your donor ID card.

If you don’t know your donor ID number, send an email to sbconlinehelp@lists.stanford.edu or call us at 650-736-7786. We’ll ask you to confirm your date of birth so we can be sure to provide you with the correct ID number.

**If this is your first donation with us, click on the link next to “Not yet a donor?” at the top of the page and follow the instructions.

B. Enter your password. Your default password is your birth date, entered as shown on the website, with slashes.

If you would like to personalize your password, after you log in to your account, click the My Profile button, scroll to the password field and enter a new one.

9. You should now see your appointment confirmation. You may print this page or add it to your online calendar.

Donating blood is an activity that many of our dedicated donors treat as an important part of their regular routine. Regardless of where you donate, we acknowledge and appreciate the time and effort involved with each visit.

There’s Nothing Scarier Than a Blood Shortage

By Julie Ruel, Social Media Manager, Stanford Blood Center

Each day, the recruitment team at Stanford Blood Center (SBC) works hard to help ensure we have blood products available to those in need. “We do this by connecting with donors and inviting them to return. It sounds simple enough, but the reality is that this mission takes time, strategy, and creativity,” explains Karen Paganelli, recruitment manager at SBC. The hospitals’ needs fluctuate from day to day and we must constantly keep on top of our inventory to make sure the right type is available at the right time for the right patient.

One constant challenge we face is the need for Rh-negative blood types (those that lack the Rhesus D antigen: O-, A-, B-, AB-). Rh-negative (or Rh-) red blood cells are important because of their compatibility with both Rh+ and Rh- blood types (see compatibility chart below for specifics). Only a small percentage of the population (around 15%) is part of this group. However, from week to week, we need approximately 20-22% of our visiting donors to be Rh-. Because these percentages are unbalanced, our pool of eligible donors in this blood group can be quickly depleted.

O-negative red blood cells specifically

We reach out to our O-negative donors often and here’s why. These folks have the universal blood type. In simple terms - their blood can safely be transfused to anyone, regardless of that person’s blood type. Imagine an emergency situation, say, an automobile accident. People need blood and they need it right away. Without time to test their blood type, doctors must reach for the bag of O-negative, the only safe choice in this type of situation.

In addition, because only about 6 out of 100 people are part of this group, it’s that much more difficult to keep a sufficient inventory.

Rh+ blood types

The fact is, all blood types are needed. We couldn’t produce an article about the importance of blood donations without mentioning Rh+ blood types. We + folks are part of a much larger population which makes us very important as well. Think of it this way - the more common your type, the more people there are that need your type!

The need for blood will never go away. There will always be surgeries to perform, emergencies that happen, and people with conditions who rely on blood products for day-to-day survival. It’s critical that we make sure blood is stocked in our hospitals’ refrigerators and ready to go at any given time. They rely on us and we rely on you!

Whole Blood & Platelets: What’s the Difference?

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By Julie Ruel, Social Media Manager, Stanford Blood Center

At Stanford Blood Center we collect several different types of blood products from our volunteer donors. All products have different functions pre- and post-donation. In other words, before and after they leave your body, they each serve different purposes. For the scope of this article, I’ll focus on red blood cells (RBCs) collected during a whole blood donation and platelets collected during an ABC donation. These are the two most common products we draw, accounting for about 99% of our total donations in a year.

During a whole blood donation, a unit of RBCs is collected. These cells are packed full of hemoglobin and have an important job during their short life inside us (about 120 days). They work diligently around the clock to carry oxygen through arteries to our organs and tissues. Then, via the veins, they return, de-oxygenated, to the heart and lungs.

After we draw the unit, it’s sent to our lab for testing, then shipped off to the local hospitals we serve. RBCs are used, for example, for accident victims and those undergoing surgery and are required for about 70% of all transfusions.

It takes about eight weeks for these iron-rich cells to replenish themselves, which is why donors are required to wait 56 days between donations. Most don’t feel any side effects from the donation, though it does take about 24 hours for the fluid loss to be replaced. Because of this, we ask that donors refrain from strenuous exercise during that period.

Platelets have a different, and still very important function. Because of them, when we bleed, our blood clots. When we draw platelets from donors, they are sent through the same gamut of tests as RBCs, then shipped to the hospitals to use for patients who may not have enough of them to control their bleeding. Patients undergoing treatment for cancer are the primary users of platelets.

Because such a small, insignificant number of RBCs (that, as you remember, carry oxygen to our organs) are lost during a platelet donation, donors feel little, if any, fatigue afterwards. Platelets regenerate quickly and can be donated every 72 hours, up to 24 times in a year.

We welcome all who meet the requirements for donating whole blood to make an appointment at a Center location or blood drive. For example, donors must:

• weigh 110 pounds or more
• be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental consent)
• be feeling well with no symptoms of colds, flu or infection

Platelet donation eligibility is the same as whole blood with a few additional requirements. We screen each donor for the antibody to the cytomegalovirus and typically only draw platelets from those who test negative. In addition, at least one prior whole blood donation must be made at SBC in order to determine eligibility. For more specifics, please visit our website.

Why All the Same Questions?

By Julie Ruel, Social Media Manager, Stanford Blood Center

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One common question we hear from blood donors is, “Why do I need to answer the same questions each time I come in to give blood? Can’t you keep my responses on file?” We cannot and here’s why. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all blood centers ask all blood donors all questions on the day of each blood donation as a safety measure. Honesty and consistency in answering these questions is critical. The safety of the blood supply and the patients receiving the blood depend on truthful answers.

Today at our Hillview Center, we’re very excited about the launch of a new system for the registration process called Donor ID. As mentioned above, we’ll still ask the same health history questions each time, but this new technology will streamline the process. Instead of answering the questionnaire with a pen and paper, donors will review and answer questions using a computer touch screen.

Phillip King (below, in chair) was our very first donor to try out the new software. Gathered around him are several SBC staff members, happy that the process is running smoothly!

Some of the benefits of Donor ID:

• streamline the registration process for blood donors
• reduce the likelihood of transcription errors by eliminating some of the manual data entry
• reduce the overall amount of paper produced

Donor ID will be rolling out at our other two Center locations plus mobile blood drives throughout the summer months.

The below video highlights the donation process from start to finish, including a demonstration of the new registration process: