Vitalant Special Collections

Vitalant offers special collections services including therapeutic phlebotomy, autologous and directed donations. Individuals requesting one of these procedures must have a physician’s order to have their blood drawn.

Hereditary Hemochromatosis /Testosterone Therapy

Blood draws for hereditary hemochromatosis or polycythemia due to testosterone therapy

People who need blood draws for hereditary hemochromatosis or polycythemia due to testosterone therapy can make a blood donation appointment online or on the Vitalant app. In order to book an appointment online you must be eligible to donate (not deferred) and must not need to donate more frequently than every 56 days. If you meet this criterion, you can schedule an appointment online at any time, at your convenience.

MAKE APPOINTMENT NOW

If you are an individual who needs to donate more frequently than every 56 days and have a prescription form your physician, or we have your information on file ( you are already in our system) then please call us at 480-675-5554 or email donorcarespecialservices@vitalant.org to schedule an appointment.

Therapeutic Phlebotomy

Blood draws that are used to reduce blood volume, red cell mass and iron stores.

As a nonprofit organization focused primarily on collecting and providing hospitals with blood that can be used for patient transfusion, Vitalant continues to provide therapeutic phlebotomy services, and therapeutic procedures that are subject to a fee proportional to the costs involved, including staffing resources, supplies and biohazard disposal.

Therapeutic phlebotomy may be indicated for Porphyria Cutanea Tarda, Polycythemia Vera, Secondary Polycythemia or other blood diseases. If you have a physician’s order for a therapeutic phlebotomy or are a physician, you can start the appointment process by downloading and filling out the order form below. A special handling fee is assessed for therapeutic phlebotomies commensurate with the extra work involved. When you have completed the form, please fax it to 480-795-2376 or email donorcarespecialservices@vitalant.org.

DOWNLOAD THERAPEUTIC ORDER FORM

Autologous Donation

An autologous donation is when a patient’s blood is collected for their own future use.

The U.S. blood supply is extraordinarily safe, and almost all patient transfusion needs are met through community blood donations. However, medically-necessary autologous donation may be ordered by a patient’s physician and approved by the blood center physician, but this need is increasingly rare. Some requests may not be accommodated when blood donation is not medically indicated or when a patient is not sufficiently healthy to donate.

An additional fee is required for autologous donations due to the special handling involved, even if the designated recipient does not use the blood and/or if the blood is not available for use due to difficulty with the collection, or losses during manufacturing, shipping and storage.

If you are an individual who would like to set up an appointment for an autologous donation for an upcoming procedure, please start by downloading the associated form, and have your provider supporting this request complete the order. When finalized, please have the physician’s office fax the form to 480-795-2376 or e-mail to donorcarespecialservices@vitalant.org. We will evaluate the order and contact you to schedule your appointment(s) or discuss other options. Please allow 72 hours for processing.

DOWNLOAD AUTOLOGOUS DONATION FORM

Directed Donation

A directed blood donation provides blood from a compatible donor selected by recipients or guardians, requested by their physician, and approved by the blood center physician.

The U.S. blood supply is extraordinarily safe, and almost all patient transfusion needs are met through community blood donations. Directed blood donations are medically indicated in a very limited number of circumstances. Directed donors must meet the same eligibility criteria as community blood donors. People asked to make a directed donation may feel pressured to ensure that they are not deferred, and these donations carry a slightly higher infectious disease risk than volunteer community blood. Further, some donors may pose additional risks to patients, like their potential marrow or organ donors, male partners of persons of childbearing age, and for babies with specific illnesses – donations from a parent.

An additional fee is required for directed donations due to the special handling involved, even if the designated recipient does not use the blood and/or if blood is not available due to an incomplete collection, an incompatible blood type, subsequently-discovered donor or product information disallowing transfusion, or losses occurring during manufacturing, shipping and storage.

If you are an individual who would like to set up an appointment for a directed donation, please start by downloading the associated form, and have your provider supporting this request complete the order . When finalized, please have the physician’s office fax the form to 480-795-2376 or e-mail to donorcarespecialservices@vitalant.org. We will evaluate the order and contact you to schedule your appointment(s) or discuss other options. Please allow 72 hours for processing.

DOWNLOAD DIRECT DONATION FORM

Does Vitalant assess a fee for directed/autologous donations?

As a nonprofit blood services provider, Vitalant may assess a cost-recovery fee to patients for the costs associated with the special scheduling, processing and medical consultation involved. Vitalant is not a medical provider and therefore unable to bill insurance companies for these services. Like other medical services, patients are responsible for payment and submitting for insurance reimbursement as appropriate.

Why are you requiring me to schedule in advance?

To provide a consistent experience for therapeutic procedures, Vitalant requires appointments to ensure all necessary paperwork is complete and adequate staff are available. Please allow up to five business days for a response to all inquiries

Can you bill my health insurance?

Health insurance companies may cover the cost of providing this service; however, Vitalant is not a medical provider, therefore unable to bill insurance companies directly for this service, including Medicare and other government-sponsored insurance coverage. If you intend to seek insurance reimbursement for this service, you are responsible for determining if it is a covered service under your plan and for submitting your own reimbursement claim.

What if I (the patient) am unable to afford the cost-recovery fee?

You may wish to contact your physician to determine whether a medical provider would be a better option for your needs. Health insurance companies may cover the cost of providing this service, but because Vitalant is not a medical provider, we are unable to bill insurance companies directly for this service, including Medicare and other government-sponsored insurance coverage. If you intend to seek insurance reimbursement, you are responsible for determining if it is a covered service under your plan and for submitting your own reimbursement claim.

Can I pay when I arrive for my appointment?

All fees must be received in advance to confirm an appointment, and our blood donation centers are not set up to process payments. We ask that you pay with a credit card by phone when scheduling an appointment.

What if I have paid for a procedure and must cancel?

In the event you need to cancel a therapeutic phlebotomy appointment or Vitalant is unable to honor an appointment, payment can be applied toward your next appointment. If you will have no further procedures, Vitalant will process a refund. Please allow 14 days for reimbursement.

If I need to donate for therapeutic purposes, can my blood be used for the community blood supply?

In general, if your diagnosis is hereditary hemochromatosis or you are on testosterone therapy, and are generally in good health and feel well, your blood may be used. This determination will be made during your health history evaluation.

Is blood from donors who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 safe?

As per the AABB and America’s Blood Centers joint statement: “Blood donations from individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine approved or authorized for use in the U.S. are safe for transfusion. There is no scientific evidence that demonstrates adverse outcomes from the transfusion of blood products collected from vaccinated donors, and therefore no medical reason to distinguish or separate blood donations from individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccination. On multiple occasions, the Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that there is no evidence to support concerns related to the safety of blood donated by vaccinated individuals.” Joint Statement: Blood Community reiterates the safety of the blood supply. January 26th, 2023. Retrieved February 2nd 2023 from: Joint Statement: Blood Community Reiterates the Safety of America’s Blood Supply for Patients (aabb.org)