University of Iowa DeGowin Blood Center

Apheresis Awareness Day is held annually on the third Tuesday in September. Apheresis means “to separate blood.” In apheresis procedures the blood is separated into various components using an automated instrument called a cell separator. Most cell separators in the United States use centrifugation to separate blood into components such as platelets, plasma, white blood cells, or red blood cells. Apheresis is used to collect blood products for transfusion, and can also be used to treat certain illnesses. The UI DeGowin Blood Center provides apheresis services to support patients at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. This technology is utilized by the UI DeGowin Blood Center in the Blood Donor Center and the Patient Services unit. Specially trained clinical technicians and nurses perform apheresis procedures. Medical oversight is provided by physicians trained in transfusion medicine.

The Blood Donor Center uses apheresis technology to collect platelets, plasma, and red blood cells from volunteer blood donors. This automated donation process generally takes two to two-and-a-half hours to complete. Some of the blood is collected to be used for transfusing patients and the rest is returned to the donor. Blood products collected support the care of many patients including those with cancer, organ and blood stem cell transplants, traumatic injuries, and open-heart surgeries. We are so grateful for the donors who take the time for an apheresis donation.

The Patient Services unit utilizes apheresis to perform therapeutic procedures to treat many types of diseases. Therapeutic apheresis may be used to collect certain types of cells that are later re-infused back to the patient. It is also used to remove harmful substances or abnormal cells from the blood. Therapeutic apheresis procedures performed by the UI DeGowin Blood Center include peripheral blood stem cell and mononuclear cell collections, plasma and red cell exchange, and photopheresis. Services that most often utilize apheresis therapy include Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy, Nephrology, Hematology, Neurology, Pulmonary, and Dermatology.

We have several openings for whole blood donors today. Can you help? Call 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org to schedule online.

We are in need of platelet donors today and tomorrow - can you help? Call 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org to sign up to donate.

This is the last week for our "I Give . . . " t-shirts. All successful donors in the center today and tomorrow will receive a shirt.

We have plenty of room for additional donors. Can you help? Call 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org to sign up online.

We are in need of platelet donors for Wednesday, August 3rd. Can you help? Call 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org to schedule online.

Blood Donors of all blood types are needed to help restock after the long holiday weekend. If you can help, please give us a call at 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org to schedule online. All blood collected by the DeGowin Blood Center supports patients at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. All successful donors will receive a t-shirt as a thank you for donating.

Looking for a few more donors this week to fill our schedule and boost our supply prior to July 4th. Call 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org to schedule online.

During the summer, donations tend to drop but the need for blood never goes away. Donate Blood with DeGowin this summer to Give Hope, Courage and Strength to University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital patients. Successful donors will receive this fun new t-shirt. Schedule an appointment at uidegowinbloodcenter.org or by calling 319-356-2058.

Andrew is our first Gallon Grad from the class of 2023 at Liberty High School. Although Andrew keeps busy with cross country, ice hockey, and theater, he still makes time to save lives by donating with DeGowin. He realizes that the first donation can be a little bit scary but encourages others to see past that because it is such a small sacrifice to help people in need. After graduation Andrew wants to become a writer, maybe he will end up writing something as wonderful as “Almost Main”, his favorite play. We wish him the best of luck with his future and congratulate him again on becoming a Gallon Graduate!

We have another Gallon Grad to celebrate! Addison is a senior at Clear Creek Amana High School and was able to complete 8 donations during her senior year to receive her red cord. Addison enjoys crafting, walking her dogs, and helping others. When we asked her to share her fears about donating, she said she had none and wants others to know that if you just think about who you are helping, you realize donating is not hard at all. Addison is heading to Mount Mercy in the fall where she will pursue a degree in nursing. Thank you, Addison, for donating with us; all of us at DeGowin wish you all the best!

Congratulations to Elly, our latest Gallon Graduate from Solon High School. Elly loves donating because it is something so simple that makes a big impact on the lives of others. She encourages others to get involved and do all you can to help those in need because it does make a difference. Elly plans on attending St. Ambrose this fall where she will major in their pre-veterinary program while also taking part in their basketball program and singing ensembles. We wish her the very best with all her future endeavors and thank her again for the live-saving impact she has made at DeGowin!

Enjoying some food which is great since you should always have a full meal a minimum of 4 hours before donating! Be sure to mention Science Thursday when you come in to get entered into their drawing!

Our latest Gallon Grad Madeline got recruited by her Aunt Julie who works at DeGowin. Maddie enjoys being able to come donate because she gets to chat with her aunt, which always helps the time go by faster. Maddie is a senior at West High School who plans on playing softball at Mount Mercy while she pursues a degree in nursing next fall. Maddie helps recruit donors by informing them that it really isn’t as scary as you think and giving them tips on getting a good night’s sleep prior to donating and eating foods high in iron, her favorite being spinach. We wish Maddie the best of luck with her future and want to thank her again for being a part of our Gallon Graduate program!

Matthew is a saver, not only does he work two jobs so he can put money into savings, but he also is wonderful at saving lives! We want to congratulate Matthew, a senior at Clear Creek Amana High School, for becoming CCA’s first senior from the class of 2022 to complete our Gallon Grad program. Matthew plans on taking the fall off to save more money for college and spend time with his dog Archie. He advises anyone on the fence about donating to not be afraid because you get used to donating and you get to enjoy delicious snacks like pretzels. Thank you, Matthew, for finding the time to “save” with us by donating life-saving blood products so you can wear a red cord at graduation!

Lilly, a senior from Liberty High School, is another one of our Gallon Graduates. Aside from donating with DeGowin, Lilly stays active in theater and all things music. She also plays an active role with the Liberty High School Difference Makers, a club that provides financial and emotional support for kids and their families battling life threatening diseases. She feels donating is one of the easiest ways to help people and advises donors to relax and don’t stress because she feels it doesn’t even hurt. We wish Lilly the best of luck with her next adventure which is attending the University of Denver and thank her for finding time to save some lives with DeGowin.

Luke uses his arm to pitch during West High School baseball games. He also used it to become our latest Gallon Graduate and an MVP at life-saving donations! He enjoys coming in because he knows it is the helpful thing to do. He advises other’s to face their fears and try donating because it really is not scary and you get to play games and watch TV if you donate platelets at the DeGowin Blood Center. Luke is planning on attending the University of Arizona next fall and looking forward to graduating from high school this May. We wish Luke the very best and want to thank him again for donating with us!

We are in need of platelet donors today and tomorrow. If you can help, please visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org or call 319-356-2058.

We are once again in need of Type O Whole Blood Donors. If you can help, please call 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org to schedule online.

Our latest Gallon Graduate, Alison, got inspired to enter the program after donating in honor of her dad’s 25th anniversary of being cancer free. She is currently a senior at Liberty High School and is looking forward to attending Iowa State University this fall. When she isn’t saving lives, she enjoys helping out on her family’s pumpkin patch farm and playing golf. Alison encourages others to get out of their comfort zone and find ways to give back when they can. Donating is a great opportunity to help patients in need, and she suggests coming to DeGowin on Fridays because that’s when we give out ice cream. Thank you, Alison, for donating with us; we wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors!

We are experiencing high blood usage. We are in need of platelet donors of all types and Group O whole blood donors. To schedule, please call 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org.

We are in need of platelet donors tomorrow and Thursday. If you can help, please give us a call - 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org to schedule online.

We are in need of additional platelet donors. If you can help, please give us a call, 319-356-2058.

Upcoming Blood Drives:

TODAY, Wednesday, January 12, Hills Community, 1 pm - 5 pm, Hills Community Center

Appointments are strongly encouraged in order to keep a steady flow and adequate space between donors. To sign up to donate, including for day of appointments, please visit www.uidegowinbloodcenter.org or call 319-356-2058.

All blood collected by the University of Iowa DeGowin Blood Center is used locally for patients at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

Upcoming Blood Drives:

TODAY, Wednesday, January 5, Old Capitol Town Center, 1:30 pm - 6:30 pm, 2nd Floor - Room 2520
Thursday, January 6, Old Capitol Town Center, 10 am - 3 pm, 2nd Floor - Room 2520

Appointments are strongly encouraged in order to keep a steady flow and adequate space between donors. To sign up to donate, including for day of appointments, please visit www.uidegowinbloodcenter.org or call 319-356-2058.

All blood collected by the University of Iowa DeGowin Blood Center is used locally for patients at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

Due to the upcoming holidays, the UI DeGowin Blood Center has adjusted hours on the following days:

* Thursday, December 23rd - OPEN 9 am to 5:30 pm for whole blood and platelet collections
* Friday, December 24th - CLOSED
* Friday, December 31st - CLOSED
* Sunday, January 2nd - OPEN 7 am to 3:30 pm for whole blood and platelet collections

We still have a few openings on December 23rd and January 2nd. Call 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org to schedule your appointment.

Our usage of donated platelets continues to be very high and we would love to see some extra donors filling our donor schedules. If you can give, please consider doing so by visiting uidegowinbloodcenter.org or calling 319-356-2058. Do you have questions about donating platelets? Send us a DM or email [email protected].

Platelets are vital for patients undergoing treatment for cancer, organ transplants and in trauma situations. We are in need of additional platelet donors to help fill our schedules. Can you help? Call 319-356-2058 to reserve your appointment time.

We have quite a few openings for platelet donors today. All blood types welcome. Please call 319-356-2058 if you can help.

Upcoming Blood Drives:

TODAY, Tuesday, November 2, The University of Iowa College of Public Health, 11 am - 3 pm, 2nd Floor Prybil Room

Wednesday, November 10, Currier Residence Hall (University of Iowa Housing and Dining), 3 pm - 7 pm, Multipurpose Room
Thursday, November 11, University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, 12:30-4:30 pm, 1st Floor Lobby

Appointments are strongly encouraged in order to keep a steady flow and adequate space between donors. To sign up to donate, including for day of appointments, please visit www.uidegowinbloodcenter.org or call 319-356-2058.

All blood collected by the University of Iowa DeGowin Blood Center is used locally for patients at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

Congratulations to Lauren, our latest Gallon Grad and the first Senior from the class of 2022 at Solon High School to achieve this recognition! Lauren stays active with wrestling and soccer but also enjoys reading and listening to 80’s Rock Music. She advises future donors, that just like “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn”, every phlebotomist has a blood bag that’s in need of a donor so don’t be scared to come in and give it a try. We love that she was able to rock n’ roll up her sleeves to donate with us and we wish her the best of luck with her senior year!

Due to high usage, we are in need of O Positive whole blood donors. Please consider scheduling an appointment in the near future. Call 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org.

Due to high usage, we are still in need of Group O whole blood donors and platelet donors of all blood types. If you can help, please give us a call or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org to sign up online.

Due to high usage, we are in need of Group O whole blood donors and platelet donors of all blood types. If you can help, please give us a call or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org to sign up online.

Upcoming Blood Drives:

Monday, September 27, Mercer Park Aquatic Center, 2 pm - 6 pm, Scanlon Gym
Wednesday, September 29, Mayflower Residence Hall, 5 pm - 9 pm, Multipurpose Room

Appointments are strongly encouraged in order to keep a steady flow and adequate space between donors. To sign up to donate, including for day of appointments, please visit www.uidegowinbloodcenter.org or call 319-356-2058.

All blood collected by the University of Iowa DeGowin Blood Center is used locally for patients at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

We are in need of platelet donors. If you are able to help, please call 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org

We are in need of platelet donors. If you can help, please give us a call at 319-356-2058 or visit uidegowinbloodcenter.org to schedule online.

Upcoming Blood Drives:

Sunday, August 22, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 9 am - 1 pm, Church Basement
Thursday, August 26, Coral Ridge Mall, 2 pm - 6 pm, Community Room located near food court

Appointments are strongly encouraged in order to keep a steady flow and adequate space between donors. To sign up to donate, including for day of appointments, please visit www.uidegowinbloodcenter.org or call 319-356-2058.

All blood collected by the University of Iowa DeGowin Blood Center is used locally for patients at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

A good friend can make everything better, including donating. Emily and Kelby started their donation journey at the University of Iowa DeGowin Blood Center by donating whole blood together. Since then, they have returned to donate platelets as often as they can by scheduling appointments together. DeGowin is encouraging others to do the same by making their next donation a social outing with a buddy.

If you haven’t donated blood yet, a friend can help ease your fears and calm the nerves you might have about the new experience. It’s often hard to get away from school, work, and other activities, but saving a life is the perfect reason to make time.

To schedule your next donation with a friend, contact the DeGowin Blood Center at 319-356-2058 or schedule one online at uihc.org/degowin. Bring back that warm and fuzzy feeling of knowing someone is there for you when it comes to trying something new or helping a friend do the same, all while knowing you are helping save lives.