Blood Donor Services

Overview

There is no substitute for human blood. Blood carries oxygen to organs and tissues, helps the body fight against infections and heal wounds, and carries blood cells, nutrients, enzymes, and hormones to all tissues. Patients who undergo heart surgery, organ transplant, or treatment for cancer, or those who have anemia or are experiencing trauma due to accidents or burns may need blood transfusions. With advances in medical treatments and greater longevity, the need for blood is increasing.

Currently, approximately 35,000 units of donated blood are used in the United States every single day. At Phelps, more than 90% of our patient blood requirements are met through the hospital’s Blood Donor Services, including the Autologous Donor Program, which allows patients to pre-deposit their own blood prior to elective surgery.

Blood donated at Phelps is used specifically for Phelps patients. If donations do not meet our patient needs, then we must buy blood from the New York Blood Center. We rely on our local volunteers from the Phelps community to donate their blood regularly and provide this lifesaving gift for our patients.

Back to Top

Process

Donating blood is safe, easy, and takes less than an hour. First, we’ll check your temperature, blood pressure, and pulse, as well as a finger-stick to measure your hemoglobin level. You’ll then complete a brief, confidential questionnaire about your health, travel, and medicines. Following the cleansing of your arm with an antiseptic, a new, sterile needle will be gently inserted. A little sting may be felt when the needle is inserted, but there should be no pain during the donation.

Donors are monitored throughout the procedure, and needles are immediately discarded after the blood is collected. You will enjoy a short relaxation period after the procedure with cookies and beverages — to replace some of the fluids lost during the donation. Within 24 hours, your body will naturally replace the blood volume. Within 8 weeks, your red cell count will be replaced, too.

Back to Top

Safety

Each blood collection kit, which includes the bag, needle and tubing, is brand new, sterile, used only once and discarded afterwards. There is absolutely no chance of contracting AIDS or any other disease from donating blood.

Most people feel no side effects. After donating blood, you should drink extra fluids to replace the blood volume lost from donating and you should avoid exercising or doing any strenuous work with the donating arm for 4-6 hours to avoid bleeding from the site. People who donate blood can resume full activities as long as they feel well.

Using donated blood is very safe today and becoming safer as additional testing becomes available. Currently, we test every unit of blood for Hepatitis B surface antigen, Hepatitis B core antibody, Hepatitis C virus antiibody, HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibody, HTLV-I and HTLV-II antibody, Syphilis, Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAT) for HIV-1, HCV and WNV Chagas disease. In addition, we exclude donors whose activities are considered high risk.

Back to Top

Donate

You can donate during these hours:

Monday/Thursday 9am – 5pm
Tuesday/Wednesday 9am – 8pm
Friday 9am – 3pm

To donate blood, a person must be in good general health and must:

• Be at least 17 years old (can donate at age 16 with parental consent)
• Weigh 110 pounds or more
• Have not donated within the previous 8 weeks
• Present identification with signature and photo.

Back to Top

Contact

Phelps’ Medical Services Building
755 North Broadway Suite 265
Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591
(914) 366-3916

Back to Top