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This company has extremely poor service. I have been there 6 times and 3 of the times I have had an awful experience. Two of these times the nurse that was putting my needle in stuck it in too far and gave me a hematoma both times. The other bad experience I had was I checked in and they checked my vitals and temperature and all that and then they made me sit back down for 45 minutes before someone came up and told me that they had entered my information wrong and I wouldn't be able to donate that day. This place needs some serious employment changes and I would think twice before going there.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
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First of all, they aren't nurses. They're phlebotomists. Second of all, when you shoot a basketball, do you always make it in the hoop? There is room for human error in performing venipuncture procedures and unless you do your job perfectly, everytime without error, then you have no room to judge.
Lastly, you'd think that if you knew all your vital signs were in range, why didn't you ask one of the techs why you were still waiting after say.. Five minutes? Oh yeah.. Because that's something a smart person would have done.
You're so focused on getting paid for sitting through one measly poke in the arm and that awful bruise that you're losing sight of the patients who benefit from the medicine that's made from that plasma.
Next time you're going to complain about your experience at one of these centers, why don't you tell it to someone during their dialysis procedure. Or to a patient receiving intravenous chemotherapy. I'm sure they'll be even more disgusted by your whining than I am.
Seriously.
I a Med Lab Tech. Not like they do. Technicians don't make mistakes like they do. Plasma Phlebotomists are the literal worst technicians out there. The absolute trash of the medical community. They wouldn't be able to medically identify someone [censored] from their zygomatic bones.
Hey twnkl04,
How long have you worked for Baxter/BioLife or worked on their behalf? Clearly, you are a corporate shill.
Correct, they are not nurses...but BioLife promotes their phlebotomists as fully trained professionals performing medical procedures. Your basketball analogy is pointless. Your clients have the expectation of competence. This sounds like a failure on the part of your employees to me.
Chemo and dialysis? Losing sight of the benefits? Babe, BioLife/Baxter make MILLIONS off of the plasma donated...they certainly don't do this out of the goodness of their hearts. You'd think that your company would treat the source of their income just a little better.
SERIOUSLY.
I believe you are both speaking out of ignorance for the situation. As a donor myself, I have to admit there is definitely room for improvement sometimes. The employees undergoing training do not mislead their donors by leading on, in any way, that they are fully trained. It takes time and practice to become a fully trained phlebotomist, as with any profession. There are enough donors who are understanding and patient of this truth to enable training to be continued. If you are too put out by a bruise on your arm, you should have the sense to inquire about the training level of your phlebotomist and simply request someone who is fully trained...Does the world make sense again?
They are not fully trained. Having a technician tell me that nutrients don't break down into sugar, when everything you consume breaks down into sugar unless you have Diabetes or Gut Fermentation Syndrome is not fully trained. It's [censored]-kicker phlebotomy.
Yep @ Brockman...they are. They are also cattle to the BioLife/Baxter machine. Given the source of the plasma would YOU feel comfortable using their products? That said, it is sad that Baxter does not screen patients better or treat the source of their product better.
@getoff... I do not speak out of ignorance. I know much more of the dealings behind the scene. As a donor, you are being shafted. BioLife makes millions from your plasma. BioLife is owned by Baxter. Google the phrase "Baxter Lawsuit Heparin". This goes toward the mentality of management at BioLife. BioLife pays very poorly and the training protocols used are suspect at best. It does not surprise me that donors are being bruised (and worse) in these centers.
The first time I went to BioLife, they tried to test my veins (after keeping my there for almost an hour to run other test), and then told me that my veins were inadequate. But honestly, the tourniquet on my arm was so loose I could almost put a finger under it, so I really think it was their mistake. After this I was told I'd have to wait a year to come back and try again (a year?!).
The second time I went, two years later, the tourniquet went on right and my veins were fine, but I was denied because of a tattoo on my inner arm-- it wasn't a new tattoo but I was told it had to be more than three inches away from the inner joint. My other arm was totally fine, I don't understand why they couldn't have just tried on that side.
I feel like they're really quick to turn people away from providing something that's medically necessary for a lot of people, in situations where there's no reason for them to be.
BioLife sucks (and that is more than blood).
@twinkl04, your statement is very naive. I would not want a doctor that only has a 50% success rate on appendectomies cause he is still learning.
Also, Biolife did not let me choose a phlebotomist with experience. When I requested a specific person, I was told to "take who I get or leave". I then made the mistake of voicing my opinion of a this employee to another employee and was banned for good by the management. They certainly do NOT care about their donors and with enough bad word of mouth or publicity, they will have the light bulb go on.
That's illegal. They cannot deny you that. It's called body autonomy, someone cannot physically insert a device into your arm if you express that you do not want them. Trying to coerce people is more felonies on top of that.
I'm on this website because I'm sitting at home, very sick and in pain, after being a BioLife 'donor' for only about six weeks. I've now all but lost the use of my arm, after a phlebotomist did something wrong on my second donation. They would never tell me exactly what happened, but a crowd of them gathered, with more and more experienced ones coming around, and finally gave up on that arm, switching to the other. His only concern was that I had 'messed up his 100% rate on sticks that day.' They truly treat donors like cattle! So about three weeks later, suddenly, i have about an 18" blood clot, swelling, red blotchy patches and severe pain in my left arm. They sent me to a doc-in-the-box place first, and I got a boatload of antibiotics to take. Two days later, when the pain and redness continued to spread down, and then up my arm, I had to go to the emergency room and spend six hours there. I have to go back to a doctor after the weekend. I'm hoping I don't lose my arm or even die as a result of this. The antibiotics are making me sick to my stomach, and the arm continues to get worse rather than better. I've been told the hard vein, which now runs the entire length of my arm from shoulder to wrist, may take months or years to go away, and that the pain may be permanent. I found a lawsuit online about that very thing. Believe me, as broke as I was and being told I was 'helping people' by donating, I'll *never* donate plasma again. I'd rather go hungry than go through all this for a few dollars on a ripoff debit card.
Fact of the matter is you are being paid to give a product. You take it or leave it. It is not like you are giving blood for free or going to a hospital or doctors office to get s test done.
No, there are laws that deal with these institutes. This is why plasma phlebitomists are [censored].
@Jan22567- So... damn near losing my arm over a $20 bill (when being told the procedure is safe) makes it OK?
In fact, the *same* laws *do* apply there just as if a person were donating blood or having a blood draw at any other medical facility. Wow, you must not be very bright to not know this. The nurses and phlebotomists there are just as subject to licensing and malpractice as any other medical facility. Same deal on the medical research places that pay you to be a Guinea pig for new meds... all FDA regulated. WAKE UP! Maybe you're willing to risk your arm for $20?
You very clearly consent to the process not once but TWICE during the initial visit. It's called informed consent, look it up. There are risks involved with any medical procedure and to receive your $20 on your ripoff credit card you consent to all of them. When you feel like you're competent enough to perfectly stick a seventeen gauge needle in someones arms every single time, please let me know. Also, employees defer you for your inadequate veins and tattoos as a safety precaution for you. You're also deferred for things like high pulse, etc. for YOUR SAFETY. In fact, the FDA has these very strict parameters in place ENTIRELY for your safety. And yes, it takes around a year for your veins to change enough to donate in most cases. The physiology of your body doesn't change overnight or over a few weeks. Overall, the plasma donation process is incredibly low risk which is why it is so common and FDA approved. Do some research before allowing someone to stick a giant needle in your arm or don't complain about the aftermath.
Negligence is still a law. There is a clear difference between negligence and a bad stick.
I decided to give some plasma thinking it was going to help someone. I'm a lawyer and make plenty of money so I don't care about the few bucks. I gave the first time and it was fine. I decided I'd do it again a few weeks later. This time I ended up with a very painful bruise from my bicep to my wrist. I won't be doing it again. Yes you give informed consent but when it comes to injury it's a matter of degree and nobody is consenting to this severe of an injury or lack of ability on behalf of the phlebotomist.
I went to Biolife as well and my first donation went very well, the employees were very friendly, and I was in and out within an hour. But on my second donation I actually knew the young lady who checked my vitals, [censored]ed my finger etc. and she is a recent high school graduate. I'm not sure how she got the job because I know she has no medical experience whatsoever. Anyways, when the lady was sticking me she missed the first time and had to adjust the needle twice. And quite frankly she was not focused, she was rude to not only me but also her coworkers, and she made me feel as if her wrong doing was my fault. She left the needle in and sent someone else over to watch my return, on the return my arm begun to swell and become very painful, when she noticed it not returning she adjusted the needle a third time. When that still didn't work and my arm continued to swell she got another lady to come stick my left arm. My left arm was stuck correctly and I was able to finish out my donation smoothly from there on out. I expressed my concern of my swollen painful arm to the last lady who stuck me and she was not worried and said "oh that's pretty normal I think" ...
After I that donation my right arm stayed swollen all day and it hurt to even just extend it or pick up things. After the first day I begun to see bruses develop, the bruses expanded and got darker and darker until a good deal of my elbow was covered.
I researched the brusing and it is fairly common to appear when donating plasma, especially after a bad stick. I had a nurse friend look at it and she said that blood leaked out of the first hole in my vein and was absorbed into the surrounding tissue.
It was very painful for the first couple days but as the bruising got worse the pain seemed to lessen. The bruising lasted about 2 and a half weeks until it finally stated to fade away.
What I got from this experience is that the bio life employees don't care about their donors, all they care about is getting their job done as quickly as possible and moving on to the next person. I will not be going back.
I went to their American Fork location over two weeks ago and found a similar situation. After spending several hours I was denied eligibility because I had been diagnosed bi-polar over 26 years ago and they needed to get a status from my current doctor. They also needed to contact ARUP because I donated platelets a week ago and needed to make sure I didn't lose any blood. The person didn't even know what ARUP was and I had to explain to him. I have called them three times since them and the two times I talked to a nurse who stated they were still trying to contact ARUP and my doctor. I called them yesterday, left my phone number for them to call back, and they didn't bother to call me back. After talking to my son and one of his friends I found out they both have had bad experiences with Biolife. I'm glad they never allowed me to donate. I'm really surprised they are still in business.
I think it is a very un professional place.. I have donated plenty of times just fine sometimes a soar arm for a couple days.. But my fiance has been denied and accepted a few times now but this last time they poked both arms 3 times and then they took half the donation and says she doesnt deserve any compensation for the donation after they screwed up and poked her wrong then sent her home..
A certain level of competence is expected and it is wrong to hide behind the sick to defend against possible negligence. IT comes down to the level at which it affects a person. At what point is it no longer acceptable, because we cannot just assume any level of failure on the part of a phlebotomist is acceptable. What if death or serious injury were to occur? Is it still acceptable to hide behind the needs of the sick? Is their discomfort or life long injury more acceptable than mine simply because they may have been born with it, where mine resulted from choosing to donate a part of me? These are important questions to consider when debating what level of compensation should be given when injury or accidents occur. I think it is important for Bio life and other plasma providers to acknowledge these situations with more responsibility instead of hiding behind the sick.
I have been having a problem recently because of a routine protein test. My protein came in low which require a retest a week later. Then after I take the test I had to wait another week for the results. During this whole process I was barred from donations for health concerns. I understand the health industry has regulations, but nobody told me there was an issue until I was in the center ready to donate. Then they turn me away with no consideration for the time I spent coming in. The very least they could have done is call, e-mail or text me and tell me not to come in until they confirmed I was ready. Additionally, when the test came in positive nobody called to confirm. When I called them to confirm everything was all right, they said I was ready to go and set up an appointment. When I arrived they told me the doctor hadn't signed off and that I couldn't donate. That makes for three times I came in with an appointment and was turned away without being told before hand there was a problem.
Yeah, I'm literally 2 minutes home from returning from the location in West Des Moines. I'm sick of it! Absolutely sick of it! Every time I go in there I have to sit and wait and wait and wait to get anything done. Wait to get in if I show up early, wait to get plugged in once I sit down. Wait to get unplugged once I'm done the whole visit usually ends up being something like an hour and 45 minutes verses what it should be at half that or less. Today took the cake and I'm just done! I was there for an hour and 45 minutes nothing but being jerked around I never did donate basically they gave me this attitude like well you know this is the procedure and what we have to do and it's just a bunch of crap. If you look at the $20 you make for donation and you divide that by the actual amount of hours that you invest getting it and then on top of that you consider that you are actually giving them a product their resale at a massive mark up your getting f***** and that is putting it kindly. When you end up with something like what I got which was an hour and 45 minutes of my time wasted and no money whatsoever it becomes damn right Criminal. I'm done with that God damn place. I've had the same situations that everybody has posted. They've stuck me before and I've had bruises a go all the way down to my wrist! That's really saying something considering I'm six foot 10 and my arms are almost 30 in Long! Never again and I'd advise never to start with for anyone that's considering it
Mal practice I donate on Monday 01/09/2023 at 7:00pm and 2 of the workers don’t make a right decision and they hurt my arn and i was unable to work for 4 days my arm was immobile and in terrible pain and i lost 600 dollars of my work days because of a bad procedure, knowing that it hurt me they kept hurting me instead of proceeding to use my other arm.
I agree with this. It's usually a management issue when all you see is death behind the employee's eyes, you can tell no one wants to be there. you can't run away from this place fast enough. it's a trap not a business.