The needle poked through my vein. Blood was running down my arm, I was nauseous and dizzy, I…read morethought I was going to faint. They couldn't give me back my platelets. I was so tired and drained all afternoon. I would give them no stars.

So happy switching here after going to Biolife for so long. I'm usually in an out in a little over…read morean hour when I used to have to wait like 2.5 hours as a regular donor at my old center. I like the pay too cuz instead of dropping u down to the lowest level or taking away ur frequency bonus just cuz you missed one donation, here it depends on how many times you came in the last month. Plus they actually have tvs here

I am so glad we have a Memorial Blood Center Downtown. For a gal like myself who works DT and…read moredoesn't drive, this is super convenient. Like most difficult things in life (going to the dentist, working out, getting a haircut), people are more prone to doing them if they are convenient. Marquette and 7th is centrally located, and accessible by skyway, too! The techs are friendly and professional, and always do a great job. Their new receptionist is really nice, though I miss their old one. Stop in to do a good deed, eat a tasty cookie, and grab some Taco Bell on your way back to the office. Also, have Jen draw your blood - she's the best!

Convenient location and friendly and staff. Everything is clean and the beds are super comfortable…read morewhich is much different than donating in some random place at other blood donation centers. I preferred them because of that and they are more local. Jen did a great job sticking me and if you are taking longer than 15 minutes, they will stop the donation. I was there for less than an hour total for my first donation.

Gave blood here and had a wonderful experience from greeting to check in, from donating to…read morerecovery, the staff and facility were excellent. Upon entering, I was immediately offered a snack and drink. I was about 20 minutes early for my appointment and waited less than 3 minutes to be brought into the check in process. Check in was smooth, especially if you fill in the form online before getting to your appointment. My assistant through the process was great. Very customer focused. Making sure I was feeling ok. Making sure she accommodated my needs with regard to needle sticks and sight of blood. Huge array of snacks and drinks for your recovery. I actually stayed there a bit longer in one of their lounge chairs and finished my book. Great experience!!

Came here to donate blood yesterday and it was a really smooth experience…read more The place is clean and organized. There's a cute resting area with snacks, beverages, magazines, a fireplace, and comfortable chairs where you chill and eat cookies for 15 minutes after you donate. They also have a huge library of dvds for the people donating platelets which takes 2-3.5 hours. A regular blood donation takes about 30 minutes all-in. The nurses were really nice and will chat with you to keep you distracted from the massive needle in your arm, and my nurse brought me a couple of cranberry juices to keep me from getting lightheaded. She also did a great job with the needle, it was honestly pretty much painless! There's a free parking lot, same lot as the Festival Foods store, and they accept walk-ins but you can also make appointments online! You can donate blood every 8 weeks; it's a nice thing to do on a day off to 1. Be a good person and 2. Eat some free Oreos... so get at it!

Staff member Shirley (Tampa) is a professional, caring team player. She takes her time and actually…read moretalks with you as she carries out her duties as a Medical Staff Associate. She has a bubbly personality and she always makes you feel welcome.

It takes an appointment or two to be cleared to donate, but that isn't at all difficult. The staff…read moreis quick, professional, and efficient while they also extend a very caring attitude toward their patients.

Friendly staff and good supplemental money. I've been donating twice weekly for over a year now…read morewith no issues.

Wish I can give less stars. I am utterly pissed. When I started as a new donor they said I'd be…read moregetting $800 which is why I signed up in the first place, on my fourth donation I received $40 which is a big jump from 125,100, and ,90. When I called she said I would be getting paid overall $715, I mentioned that when I started they said it would be 800 and all she said was whoever told you that was wrong. I feel scammed and I will not be going back there again. If you want to be scammed go here if not stay away.

This company is a joke. The wait times are ridiculous and the staff make up stuff to get you…read morepermanently deferred. After 176 donations they decided to put me over a phone call trying to get answers to why I wasn't able to donate. The person I talked to on the phone was repeating the same thing and didn't take responsibility for their staff not doing their job. Horrible place that takes advantage of their donors time. Long wait times and poor customer service. I definitely don't recommend going here.

The wait line is always way to long. You all need more employees up front for checking in. The line…read moreshould not be this long. And one employee up front is wrong.

I came in on Tuesday, February 18th, and was sitting in the lobby for almost an hour. Waiting to be…read morecalled for my exam. Since I'm considered a returning, but new client. I tall man with red hair and a beard had come to the lobby and asked if somebody's car was in the alley, when in fact he was really wondering was somebody in my car while I was in the lobby on top of which he told me that I was to wait my turn? I didn't get appointments because they don't make appointments and he's very busy and he was very patronizing rude. And I will never go back there again. I'd rather go out of my way to go to another clinic. I do not understand what the point of having an appointment system on there Website is? I will never trust my healthcare to a place that treats their patients like that. That's absurd. There's no amount of money that would make me want to donate anything to a place like that.

I am a returning donor. The wait in line is 3 hours and then 45min to 1 hour to donate. At $45 per…read moredonation. Makes the wait less than minimum wage. If I worked today, I would have had to leave. $45 doesn't even fill up my gas tank in order to get here.

I have donated blood several times and this was my worst experience…read more It took FIVE people to be able to draw my blood!!!! Somehow my veins in both arms were poor. I don't know anything about the training received by the phlebotomist however by the next day I had a big black and blue which they warned me about. I love donating blood this last time, I won't be donating again. Sad,because I know how great the need is.

My daughter and I both had terrible experiences at the Red Cross donation center on South Robert…read moreStreet in St. Paul, years apart. The one and only time I went there was horrible. The tech missed my vein with the needle that was to return fluid that was being separated during a 2-hr apheresis donation. She left for break immediately after inserting both needles. One arm started to ache and burn. For several minutes there was literally no Red Cross staff member in the room where several of us were hooked up! I finally saw and got the attention of a different Red Cross employee but he had no idea how to help or how the apheresis system worked. At first, he told me to wait until the phlebotomist got back from break. That's an unacceptable staffing policy and an unacceptable risk to volunteer donors. That was yrs ago but my adult daughter had a horrible experience this week at the same center and she was simply donating regular whole blood which should be straight-forward and routine. She has done so before without issues. The technician tapped into an artery instead of a vein which is a huge no-no and can create serious complications for some people. That's why veins are used for donations and draws. Although there were several indicators that he had breached an artery -- the needle insertion hurt more than normal, which she told him (he just moved the tube); the blood flow was shockingly fast -- bag full in just a few minutes; and the blood is usually redder/brighter -- which he never checked or didn't know to check. Experienced phlebotomists can sometimes also tell from the extra effort needed to breach an arterial wall which is thicker than a venous wall and/or from the pulsing in arteries. But even a new tech should know the first three signs! This technician had no idea until my daughter's blood literally spurted like a mini fountain when he removed the needle. The situation was handled very poorly. Staff never explained to her why her blood was shooting on the table, floor, and people's shoes. No one discussed what happened, or why, with her. But (!) other staff including a supervisor quickly assured the embarrassed tech that *he* shouldn't feel bad because "it happens all the time." Well, only if you call 1 in ~7,500 (data from NIH) 'all the time'. For perspective, in the U.K., an arterial puncture is handled differently: Donors are informed about possible complications *and* receive a document to give to an attending doctor if they do end up in the E.R. Some donors are referred to a doctor at the time an arterial puncture is recognized. My daughter figured out the next day -- only due to her specific education and training -- that the distressing events occurred because of an arterial puncture, but no one at the Red Cross clinic in St. Paul explained anything. (They did tell her to watch out for light-headedness but not why.) I understand and lament how poorly phlebotomists are paid and treated in the U.S. It's a bloody shame. The Red Cross needs to revamp its entire structure and environment so more skilled people are hired and retained and so that covering one's ass is not prioritized over donors' well-being. ARC is not a completely altruistic org. Their CEO earns almost $1,000,000/yr. A dozen or more Red Cross execs earn more than $400,000. The Red Cross charges hospitals and clinics about $200 for the pint of blood you donate (for the work they do to collect & test it). IMO, they have an obligation to be a better organization for its employees and donors. If they can't or won't do it, get out of the business. (60% of the blood supply in the U.S. is provided by orgs other than ARC.) Please do donate blood. I've had dozens of positive experiences at blood drives. I do recommend avoiding the Red Cross clinic on South Robert Street in St. Paul. Odds are you'll have a better experience elsewhere.

I have been donating blood here for over 15 years. The staff are always so friendly. I come in…read moreevery 16 weeks to donate a double unit of my universal life saving O-. I really like the lobby remodel they did a few years ago, really opens it up and it's a more welcoming vibe. I donate early in the morning so it's usually pretty quiet in the lobby and back in the donation area. My phone usually cooperates when I do the questions at home and take a picture of the QR code. I appreciate that this feature was added a couple years ago!! Before you could do the questions but you were to print out the verification. Now you get a QR code and the option to email it to yourself. On occasion they give out short or long sleeve t-shirts for donating. I've also received a couple of Give a Pint Get a Pint cards. They have great snacks & beverage options in the little cantina where you're supposed to wait after your donation. The phlebotomist always asks what color bandage you want? I can always make my next appointment with the friendly receptionist before I leave. Thanks Memorial Blood for making saving lives such an easy thing to do!

This is a fairly spacious, clean and well run center. The donation process was quick (so was the…read moreiDonate QR code) and Christine was pretty pleasant, the kind of person that you can almost forgive for stabbing you in the arm They also get bonus points for refreshments, Coke and La Croix, Cookie Cart, and White Cheddar popcorn!