Donating plasma can be an "anxious" experience. This place does a great job in easing first timers, the employees are great! When you come.in for your appointment you will have to wait in line for about 15-20mins. This is due to the increase of people coming to donate during certain times of the and COVID protocols. If you're going for the first time I would budget about 2 1/2 hours. Be sure to look at the website for what you will need to bring. Also download the app as that is super helpful! read more

This business needs serious attention. Weekends being the busiest time for donations (due to people having time to go obviously), there needs to be some kind of increase in staff. Two nurses helping 20+ people on the chair side and one at reception is absolutely unacceptable. WAITING OVER AN HOUR to get into a chair is absolutely unacceptable. Either staffing needs to hire more people or adjust scheduling bc how does a business run with literally the lowest amount of staff possible. I personally know people choosing to drive to Ankeny to donate over coming to this branch bc it does not seem to be doing any better over months and months of management not fixing these issues. If it takes less time for someone to drive 40 minutes both ways on top of donating - you should recognize your business needs help. If this was one instance of a scheduling mishap that'd be a completely different thing but this has been an ongoing issue for far too long for management not to notice. read more

Ames center has lost all my respect. It has gone downhill over the last couple of years . Management is terrible, most of the staff are rude and don't care about the people they are giving services to . Don't you people realize that you need OUR help with OUR contributions ? I've worked in customer service myself and experienced the high demands , but there's a better way to treat others so lose the attitude and learn proper etiquette. I was on a bed for 44 minutes due to a bad stick drawn by Addy the manager. I was okay with it at first until it felt like she was poking at my arm just for the heck of it . Then she brings another gal over . short and chubby named Sydney was just as bad . It hurt the second time around and they both looked annoyed that I was clearly in pain . They both just walked away without any more explanation and I caught them both staring and obviously speaking about me in a negative tone . I've never felt so embarrassed to be in a situation that I had no control over . These people are obviously not trained professionals. Just obviously losers in white coats . Never go to the Ames Center !! Beware of unprofessional staff ! read more

I feel the need to lead with the fact that donating plasma is a virtuous cause. It helps many people, has health benefits for donors, accelerates medical science, and you can get some extra cash. In no way would I discourage people from donating in principle. If you are able and wish to do so, I'd encourage you to try it. However, this clinic is absolutely abysmal and pure ass. I have donated plasma a few places, and this clinic is definitely the worst. The employees are inept, rude, and generally bad at their jobs. If you have to repeatedly stab someone with a needle and make them bleed everywhere to find a vein, maybe you should consider taking up cross stitching, or being a prison tattoo artist. I also hear murder can pay well, at least in PR. It is almost like most of the staff has never been in public or interacted with another human being before. The staff also seems to be a gaggle of degenerates of a high order. I can't stop a person from practicing poor hygiene, but if you're going to be a contemptible wank to people around you, then stay at home. Though the clinic seems to at best, carelessly, or at worst, deliberately, hire a certain type of person. I have worked in customer service and retail myself, so I know the jobs are stressful, and I can't reasonably expect everyone to have the best day of their life every single day at a job that is difficult. However, if you consistently hate working with people, you need to get another job. You are ruining your life, giving customers bad experiences, as well as the reputation of your employer. If you are the employer and keep hiring buffoons, then you either need to adopt new recruiting and vetting methods, or dramatically improve your workplace if no one wants to work for you. Employees will flirt with you, and then stonewall you when you rebuff them. This was not a one-off experience either. Having made the judgment error on my part of going here a few times over the course of 7-8 months, the staff turnover seems high. Some of this is a feature of working in a college town, but it also reflects that people don't aspire to remain here long term. The administrators and nurses are also rude and condescending, talking down to everyone as if they deserve a Nobel peace prize, but were forced to babysit 1st graders rather than work for NASA. It really does go all the way to the top. I would not recommend going here, and actively advise against being a donor at this clinic. Grifol's Biomat, Lifeserve, and Community Bio Resources are all superior alternatives. As I mentioned at the outset, donating plasma is worthwhile. Though when you have multiple options, don't settle for the bottom of the barrel. read more

Might be switching to Grifols on N Loop Drive. Kept getting Biolife ads for an extra $800 for 8 donations in 30 days, thought it wouldnt hurt to try. Week 4, had a med change by my PCP. Did not take the new meds as I did not want them to interfere with completing the final donation. A very rude nurse made me wait an hour for med change review, while she completed new donor exams for people who arrived after me. Then, advised of the new prescriptions, despite not having taken the meds, she imposed a 30 day ban on donation from when the meds were prescribed, so I could not complete my donation. Manager Kyle seemed to want to be more reasonable, but acted like his hands were tied. I was offered a "comeback card" for a much lower amount, and only good if I return and do 2 more donations within 30 days (you know, the exact time of the donation ban). Nothing about this on the website. Oh, and their app is supposed to not let you schedule if you aren't eligible to donate. But immediately after leaving, I wondered if that was true.. Found out I was able to schedule for the next day (I canceled it of course). But if I go back, that gives me zero confidence that I won't travel there next time and not still have a ban in place. read more

told I can't donate because my heart rates to high even tho the nurses have been informed that I have a high heart rate naturally and this is the second time I've been denied for it even tho the other 12 times I was just fine with an elevated heart rate I don't recommend this place at all whatsoever not to ment the employees are unpro about inserting the needles and taking them out almost every time I've been here someone's ripped it out of my arm very unprofessional read more

I travel from out of town for "scheduled" donation times to get there and informed at the door they are closed because their nurse didn't show up and to maybe come back at 9 or 10 and see if they are open. What part of I live out of town. How about calling appointments and letting them know and posting on the website is not sufficient enough because who checks that before heading to an appointment. Also extremely poor hygiene as other donors have said. I referred someone, they completed their required donations and I never did receive my referral money nor would they respond to my emails or phone calls. Employees stand around talking no care in the world that you have been sitting there waiting to be connected all while they are complaining about co-workers and what they did that weekend. There is no reason they need to wrap your arm as tight as they do to cut off circulation and get pissy when you put your fingers in there to prevent how tight it is. Just a very poor facility and experience. read more

This location deserves zero stars. They are disrespectful to their best employees and management hygiene is out of order. Another manager comes to work intoxicate. I do not recommend this location. read more

The nurse who did my physical (short, long hair, hideous skeletor face, halitosis and uneducated, meaning un gloved and unmasked) was super aggressive and made me so uncomfortable I wanted to leave then when I told her I'd never been hospitalized, not abnormal, she said we couldn't go on until she had my FULL MEDICAL HISTORY. Are you nuts? To disclose that amount of information over a plasma DONATION is insane. You can keep your little bit of money. What a waste of time. read more

Can't maintain a healthy staff level, uses pagers which automatically means You're waiting over an hour. What happened to the good old days where it'd take an hour to do everything? Covid? Covid has zero factor besides them trying to accept too many people then what they can handle at once. read more

Visted the Ankeny office quite a few times so far. Nice staffbut they seem a bit bored, exceptionally clean, process before donation is a bit slow even with an appointment. However by far best plasma center I've visited in the Des Moines area. read more

BioLife Plasma Services - Blew my vein in the left arm we were successful on the right! Very apologetic and friendly. Great Customer service is what kept me around. - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Ames, Iowa

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I've been a plasma donor for about 5 years now, most of which has been done in Iowa City with a different company altogether. Never in that time have I ever had an issue donating or been deferred. However, since moving back to Ames and in the three months I've donated at the Biolife center here, I've been deferred 4 time, twice each for my blood pressure being "too high" and my blood test being "cloudy." Beyond that, almost every tech in Ames can't tell the difference between wrapping a bandage wrap intended to stop the bleeding of a rather small IV prick and one trying to reattach a severed limb. If you really need the extra cash, expect to be incredibly bored unless you bring some form of entertainment for yourself, with earphones if you want sound, unless you really, really enjoy lying there while all of today's most mediocre pop hits play in the void where most centers have TVs. Lastly, don't expect any special programs to get you a few extra bucks more like what I had in Iowa City, such as the Hep B program I was in to produce additional antibodies. Must be lucrative being the only paying center in town. read more