First BioLife plasma donation center in Lafayette and the second in Louisiana to open
The Lafayette community now has the opportunity to help save a life with the first BioLife plasma donation center in Lafayette and the second in Louisiana.
The Lafayette center joins more than 200 state-of-the-art BioLife plasma donation centers in the U.S., as the organization brings up to 70 new jobs to the community, including center managers, trained medical staff and dedicated quality and regulatory experts.
Along with opportunity to help save a life, compensation is offered to donors for their commitment to the program. Each year the center will contribute approximately $4 million to $5 million back to the community in the form of donor compensation. Approximately 80% of plasma donor compensation is spent in the local community. Compensation to donors is provided in the form of a prepaid Mastercard and allows donors direct access to funds they have available on their account.
"Plasma donations are used to create life-saving medicine for hundreds of thousands of people who live with rare and complex chronic diseases, including immunodeficiency disorders. For many of these individuals, medicine developed from plasma is their only option for treatment," said Tiffany Sherman, District Manager.
Hundreds and sometimes thousands of plasma donations are needed to make enough medicine for just one individual for one year. Donating plasma is a low-risk procedure with minimal or no side effects.
Before a donor is accepted into the BioLife Plasma Services donor program, they must pass a physical examination and a survey of their medical history. During each subsequent visit, a staff member checks the donor's vital signs, and the donor answers questions about their medical history. To donate plasma, an individual must be at least 18 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds and pass all other required donor eligibility criteria.
The body replaces the plasma removed during the donation process quickly. Therefore, healthy individuals can donate as often as twice in a seven-day period, with at least one day between donations.
"BioLife is excited to be in the Lafayette community," Sherman said. "We are proud to be a business built on relationships and focused on – and supportive of – community. One that strives to deliver a brighter future for the world. We embrace that responsibility and commit to addressing it in a sustainable way."
To sign up to be a plasma donor, make an appointment by downloading the app, visiting BioLifePlasma.com or stopping by the new center at 3519 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy in Lafayette.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: BioLife plasma donation center opens in Lafayette
