I've been donating with Gulf Coast Blood for a while, and the new La Concha location is a great upgrade. The facility is brand new, clean, and comfortable. It has everything you need to make donating an easy experience. Each donation chair has a TV if you want to watch something, but I usually end up on my phone with my headphones in. The snack selection afterward is always one of the highlights. I somehow just realized that "Chips Ahoy!" sounds like "Ships Ahoy!" I can't believe it took me this long to make that connection. My usual haul is a mini bag of Chips Ahoy, a mini bag of Oreos, some Ruffles, fruit snacks, and a zero-sugar energy drink. I also noticed they have a massage chair in the lobby. I didn't ask what it's for this time, but I definitely will next visit. They offer both traditional whole blood donations and automated donations. I usually donate platelets and red blood cells. Doing both definitely wears me out, but it's worth it. The staff is always incredibly nice and does a great job making sure everything goes smoothly. I also love that this location is open on weekends. That's a huge benefit for me, and judging by how busy it was around noon on Saturday, I'm not the only one who appreciates it. If you're looking for a place to donate, I highly recommend this location. Great facility, great staff, and an easy experience from start to finish. read more

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The new location is brightly lit, clean, very modern. I've been donating for probably 10 years or so now and while a lot of the phlebotomists have changed during that time, they've all been friendly, professional and good at what they do! The process is usually pretty quick, even as a walk-in donation I've never waited more than probably 12 minutes from walking in to conducting questionnaire. There are all kinds of perks they provide for donating, ranging from blankets to shirts to free tickets to local events or ice cream etc. Plus, if you make an account you gain points with donations and I've gotten a couple hundred dollars worth of Amazon gift cards over my entire time donating! It adds up and it's a great bonus in addition to just doing something to help other people who need blood. Go donate! It's painless and really helps people! read more

I am a regular. The most recent donation, I had a great experience and gave feedback. In return I had a handwritten postcard. I appreciate the personal note! read more

Gulf Coast Blood - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Houston, Texas

They stopped taking my double red - went to md Anderson now so much better . They mixed up 3 appointments in a row -

Great experience! AMANDA did and amazing job. Super kind and efficient! Thank you. Will be coming back.

Just went to give blood and was unable to because of a prescription that I am taking. So an hour of my time and 10 dollars parking was wasted when they could have warned me if they had any intelligent process in place. For the record I missed the texted link that had the questionnaire so when I answered the questions on site I was not eligible due to taking propecia. So I took part of the blame for not reading the full text. The staff at the donation site were very friendly and professional! But when I got back home I decided to take the questionnaire to see what would have happened if I had seen the link before I went to the donation appointment. I answered the questions exactly as I had at the donation site, answering yes to taking the prohibited medication in the time frame given, and they still sent me the QR Code to use at the donation site so pre answering the questions is basically useless because you are not saved from wasting time and money. As a computer scientist I am floored several times a day with these crap systems put together by incompetent people that serve no purpose to anyone. Just garbage that still wastes time and money. The questionnaire should have told me that I was not eligible to donate blood based on my answers or asked more in depth questions to see if I could still be allowed to donate but that did not happen. read more

I'm so disappointed in my experience. I had planned on donating specifically in someone's name. However, after spending an hour and a half waiting I left without donating. Upon arriving, I was told to wait before signing in. About ten minutes later, someone came and signed in me noting that time, not the time that I arrived. She also signed in some others at the same time whose appointments were after mine. (I overheard this as we were crowded in a small room.) When I was finally called over to have my vitals taken, I attempted to bring my two children over with me so that one of the two chairs in the waiting area was free for others who were waiting. I was rudely told," They can't come over here." So, they remained waiting in the crowded area sharing one of the two chairs available for the many people waiting. The young woman who took my vitals was very nice and friendly. She's honestly she reason I didn't leave sooner. Then I returned to the waiting area. I overheard someone asking how far behind they were running to which she was told , "We really aren't running behind. They're just waiting for a bed." Mind you, there were about 7 people and many had been waiting over an hour. My tipping point was when two customers who had arrived after me were taken to a bed before me. I wanted to donate and I tried waiting but an hour and a half of being treated rudely then being take out of turn was too much. I hope that they reevaluate their system so that others don't have the same experience. read more

Well that was easy. First off, understand that it's not painful or scary. If you're eligible to donate - you SHOULD donate. You never know if you or one of your loved ones will be on the receiving end of the donation. If needles or blood make you nervous, just look away; you'll feel a small pinch. Laser hair removal, waxing and mosquito bites are far worse, I tell ya. This is the main facility for the GCRBC, but they have donor centers all over Houston, as well as mobile donor stations located here: http://www.giveblood.org/where-to-donate/find-a-location/ So how to get started? 1. Read their FAQs. http://www.giveblood.org/faq.aspx 2. Schedule your appointment online (you can also do a walk-in but there could be a wait): https://www.commitforlife.org/donor/schedules/center_view/1/1411776000/#tabs-1 3. Fill out their basic health questionnaire THE DAY you plan on donating; bring a printed copy of your answers. 4. Expect to be there 1.5-2 hours from start (check-in, paper work) to finish (15-minute waiting period to enjoy snacks and relax). Shamefully, the last time I donated blood was at a mobile drive in 2011, so this time I opted to do the "Automated" donation versus the whole blood donation. It takes longer (80 minutes) but it's the system that better suits their blood needs. Free parking. Free wi-fi. Individual TVs and Dish network at each donor chair. Blankets, snacks, Calcium chews and other items to keep you comfy are all provided. If all that bit of info and saving lives doesn't convince ya, how's this? :: Health benefits of donating blood http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/5-health-benefits-donating-blood.html :: You can burn up to 650 calories from a one-time donation!!! read more

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I called before scheduling my appointment and was not told that I needed to go to a "center" to donate if my donation was for a direct family member. Naturally, I picked the closest place to my work so that I could use my lunch break and walk to donate. upon arriving, I was redirected to a center per guidelines so I called once again and was told their system was down so a call before going would be necessary to confirm they could even do it. I would not recommend this organization if I had the choice again. Based on other reviews as well, it does not seem like that Donor time is valued. read more

The mobile drives make it easy to donate I usually can take a short walk to donate. The personnel are always friendly competent and efficient read more

Why would people come here and complain about giving "Life-Saving Blood".. SO what if someone was rude, maybe the had a long day, maybe someone died in their life, Giving Blood isn't about your FEELING.. YOUR self-pity.. It's about helping people LIVE INSTEAD OF People DYING.. GET OVER YOURSELVES... BE a GROWNUP... Yes, I am speaking to you complainers as if you were like children because you are acting like children. SO GROWN UP AND DONATE.. because someday someone you love may need life-saving BLOOD.. read more

So everyone that knows me knows that I try an find a way to get what I need at a low cost, or free. Well, in this case, I needed to know my blood type and I didn't want to use my sorry insurance or pay a third party company like LabCorp to tell me. Plus I am too big of a baby to test myself. So after doing a little research, I considered donating blood which will allow you to find out your blood type for me. The red cross dates didn't work but luckily a representative informed me about this place. I am so glad they did. I was literally able to go on the same day I called and was in and out in under an hour. The questions and pre-screening honestly took the longest but the blood part was quick. The ladies working there really put me at ease because I was high key terrified as it was my first time donating. After they collected the blood I then sat around and ate some snacks before leaving. Overall it was truly a great experience and knowing that I helped save a life was even better. read more

Gulf Coast Blood - Current blood donation needs - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Houston, Texas

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center (GCRBC) supplies much of the blood & plasma to the Texas Medical Center, including that for patients at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), where my twin daughters were born and hospitalized. One of my daughters has a serious congenital heart defect--tetralogy of Fallot w stenosis of the left pulmonary artery. She underwent open heart surgery at TCH at 3 weeks of age, though she was prematurely born & was running a course of antibiotics for a PICC infection. Following her surgery, my daughter received donor blood. My husband & I were never asked if we wanted to donate for her, presumably b/c my daughter was scheduled for surgery less than 24 hours before her procedure. So the blood she was given came from other donors at GCRBC. No one mentioned she'd been the recipient of this precious gift. So it hadn't even occurred to me to give back, until I read Community Manager, Farrah A.'s post re. a Yelp Blood Drive at the Blood Center (http://www.yelp.com/biz/yelp-blood-drive-houston). *Thanks, Farrah.* How could I have overlooked the importance of blood for my baby? She'd needed it to survive her lifesaving surgery. Without it, she'd have died. So I expressed interest in the Event, & booked an appointment w the clinic online (https://www.commitforlife.org/donor/schedules/center/1). A donor can opt to give whole blood, which takes 35 minutes, or make an automated donation, which takes an hour, but is up to 6x more efficient. If you decide to give blood here, you'll receive a card that lists your donor ID, after the first time you donate. This allows you to access your test results online (https://www.commitforlife.org/donor/auth/signin). So if you continue to donate, you can monitor your blood pressure (bp) & hematocrit. You'll also be eligible for the Donorplus program (http://www.communitybloodservices.org/db_mydonorplus.php) that rewards donors w points that can be redeemed in Donorplus' online store. Apparently, some vampires w lots of blood to spare can even earn laptops & TVs. But I don't think that will be me... I was terribly nervous about donating. I'm tiny--only ~115 lbs, & my bp is low. Predictably, I got sick for the first time in half a year, just days ahead of my appointment. But by the day before, I was absolutely well again. On the day of my appointment, I filled out my health questionnaire online (http://www.giveblood.org/cflexpress), then turned up at the donation center, printed ticket in hand, & signed in at the front desk, w my legs looking like bruised fruit from chasing my 3 toddlers around on hands & knees, & from being savaged by ants, after stepping on an anthill. A tech brought me into a screening room, moments later. She was friendly, open, & super accommodating. She overlooked my scraped knees & mottled legs, took my vitals, & didn't ask too many questions. When my bp came up too low, the number was rounded up, slightly. (Well, there is a lot of uncertainty in those numbers...) Then I told her I'd lived in the UK. She was sure I'd be deferred, but as all the mad cows in England had been rounded up before I'd arrived there, GCRBC's system cleared me to donate. Yeehaw! Lovely Tech brought me to a collection chair so comfy, I could easily have fallen asleep in it. It looked & felt very much like my father in-law's Danish Design lounge chair. But alas, donors are not allowed to sleep. I was asked to squeeze a foam ball every 2-3 seconds to help the blood to flow. My phlebotomist & several others checked on me every minute or so to make sure I was feeling well. I was feeling just fine until a minute or 2 before the end, but suddenly, it felt as though I'd had enough. Mercifully, at that very moment another tech appeared to ask how I was feeling. "Not so well", I said, "I feel like I'm going to faint". The phlebotomist immediately kicked into action, wrapping my neck in ice packs, & tilting my chair so that my hands & feet were raised. (Where had those ice packs even come from?) She asked her questions, & when she was satisfied that I was well again, the tech brought me a snack. In short, she treated me capably & w compassion. But though I didn't donate gracefully, I did donate, & I'll try to do it again, next quarter. And if I could do it, you probably can too. So if you're eligible to donate, & think you might stand a chance of making it through, please do donate for my little one, & for others like her. Otherwise, consider asking someone else to donate on your behalf. The Blood Center's capable & understanding staff make this an ideal location for you or your proxy to do so. read more

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Donate, Donate, And Donate! I cannot emphasize enough the power of doing something so simple. While this location isn't my normal go to Gulf Coast Regional Blood Bank location - I gladly made the drive from North Houston to attend the YELP event and walk out with that great feeling. (Honestly this was probably one of my favorite YELP community events, granted the events are off the charts, but I'm a sucker for helping out in this manner, whenever I'm eligible!) This location is comfy cozy, with needles involved, kind of a weird combination, right? But no honestly, free Wi-Fi, free parking, television at every donation station, great friendly staff offering snacks, drinks, and blankets. If you can shed your fear of needles, or if you have none to begin with Donate and be someone's hero! It's the little things that count in life, and this type of giving makes each day you live that much more important and meaningful! read more

This is the main provider of blood for most of the medical center and the surrounding area. They do a decent job of recruiting new donors. I donate whole blood once every quarter. Last year was the first time I ever donated blood and GCRBC made me feel very comfortable. They give you points per every donation which are redeemable via their online store. I have received shirts just for donating along with earning points. They also do free basic testing everytime you donate. So you can monitor your cholestorol and blood pressure. Their staff was been very gentle as far as going into my veins. I have only been bruised once out of the 8 times I have donated. For all of those who are scared of needles, just look away and you won't feel a thing. Just remember with every whole blood donation you're saving up to 3 lives!!! read more

I donated twice at this location and Cristi always makes sure I'm comfortable! They are a great team and super fun to hang out with. I always make sure to donate regularly and I can check my iron levels to make sure I'm healthy. Thank you to Casey, Daniela, and Irma! read more

No good deed goes unpunished. . . OK. This is not a review designed to deter people from giving blood. Giving blood and all charitable work is a wonderful thing. The blood center needs blood, so you should do it if you are able. But don't give these people your phone number. Give them a fake one, tell them you think cell phones cause cancer so you don't have one, or that you live in a cardboard box, anything, just don't give them your telephone number. Why? Because if you do, they will harass you NONSTOP to donate again. And again. And again. I get calls EVERY SINGLE DAY from these people, sometimes more than once, and I can't block the number because they are from many different numbers. I want to donate when it's convenient for me, not because someone hassles me so much I give up and give in. The more they call, the more I don't want to donate. read more

The people that work at the blood center are so rude. I will not donate blood ever again. I have been a diner fir a long time but I will not give blood to these people. The girl qZs so rude said I didn't have a spot I showed her my confirmation number. She wanted to get out of there. I do this to help other people, and they are begging for blood all the time, yet they treat you like shit. I'm done! read more

Easy donation. Made an appointment online. Intake took about 1/2 an hour because I hadn't downloaded the app and done the questions before going. Will do that for next time. Then donation was painless (fantastic phlebotomists!), facility was clean - social distancing, masks worn correctly, everything wiped down with disinfectant between donors. It's been 18 years since I donated. Will try to do it more often. Thanks to the polite, professional staff at La Concha location for making it an easy, safe process. read more

After MONTHS of phone calls asking to donate blood, we finally made appointments to go today at 5:45pm, the last time-slot of the day you can sign up. The center is well out of our way, and when we got there four minutes late (Houston traffic!), we are turned away and told to reschedule. Even though they were still open, and people were just sitting around, it was apparently too late to donate. It made it feel like they are desperate enough for blood to constantly call you, but not desperate enough to take you because you showed up too close to closing time. read more

I was pushed to give plasma when I was scheduled for whole blood. Reading other reviews, I see that it not unusual. Plasma can be sold by the company for much more profit than whole blood. *hundreds of dollars more* . Remember that "non profit" does not mean "no profit" as the CEO salary is almost half a million. Also, I wasn't told until AFTER the procedure began that they only would do my plasma though I'd said no to that earlier at check in. Which is a violation of your rights as a patient anywhere. If you say stop, or no, i don't want this, they have to stop. Not here evidently. The tech just walked off when I said I didn't want to give just plasma. And at the end of this, the person who took out my IV line had picked up papers dropped on the floor and then did not change to a clean glove to discontinue my line. I saw several breaches in clean technique from both of the people dealing with me, so obviously they need some inservice teaching. Usually blood banks are obsessive about clean or sterile technique. I will be going either to the Methodist blood bank (by appointment) or MD Anderson blood center from now on. I find it creepy that you have no control over what procedure they will do regardless of what they have told you. I've thought about writing the CEO since usually the people who run the business do not know what is going on at the site. They need better supervision. If you go here, do NOT sit down in the chair and have an IV stuck in your arm before clarifying that you are going to give exactly what you came to give. And ask them to change their gloves when they come to touch you or your tubing. read more

I feel bad for giving a rating to a center that helps save lives. Honestly, it should just be a "N/A" for number of stars, because the point of me writing this is to tell you that YOU SHOULD DONATE BLOOD IF YOU CAN. Walked in on a Saturday morning and was greeted promptly by the front desk. Went through the motions in a small office with Jared, who provided some sass and jolly banter. As I've been donating with Gulf Coast for probably 8 or 9 times now, this was my first experience actually going to a center rather than one of their mobiles on campus. As with the typical experience, everything was smooth -- take hematocrit level, blood pressure, height and weight, etc. I registered for a whole blood donation, but ended up giving platelets, as the nurses told me they were in higher demand. All the while I was sitting in a chair watching the lifeblood flow in and out of me, the nurses came around to check and make sure I was feeling okay. They then directed me towards the stocked fridge of sports drinks and fruit juices after I was finished (about one hour) and told me to eat a large meal, all smiles, and I was on my merry way. So the point of this review is that you should do a good deed, go donate, and feel good about yourself knowing that you helped improve the health of someone else. (And it gives you an excuse to snack a little bit more throughout the rest of your day.) :) read more

I made a reservation one Saturday afternoon recently, and the check-in process all the way through donation went smoothly, probably about 50 minutes from start to finish. This center makes giving away my life force as pleasant as possible! I like the round set up of all the chairs, and the televisions available at each chair. A wide variety of snacks and drinks are available in the small kitchen area. However, the 5-star rating is due to the personable staff. More than friendly, they treat me familiarly (word?) to keep my mind off the needle stuck in my vein, and that slowly filling maroon bag hanging by my chair. Summary: Great overall, but the staff makes the experience. read more

The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is an excellent place to give back to our community by donating blood on a consistent basis. The quality of service they give makes the process easy and effective. I would recommend going by 1 of there donor center or schedule for a mobile drive to experience the process. Thanks read more

I have donated my type o-blood since 2011.Basically, the center is super-persistence.Once they got tel numbers, they call you every three month.They are gurus or kings of cold call even if they don't work at financial companies or recruiting firms.LOL.I am from Japan.Japanese believe " Blood type personality theory'. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_type_personality_theory According to the theory, type O are often late to the appointment.I arrived very early.It seemed that the theory was wrong! LOL. The center has donation types.Please visit the website http://www.giveblood.org/about-donating/donation-types/ It seemed that they like double red cells.I don't know the reason.I don't care.I am a type-O.We don't care much about little things.LOL. After the donation,I got water and snacksBoth of them were complimentary.I took 20 minutes break and left.To donate blood is a time consuming activity. Please check your schedule.According to the blood personality theory,Type_A is well-organized.They won't be late.Type A should be there! LOL. read more

I will not use the mobile truck again. I went to Kroger in Angleton Texas today to donate and it was a horrible experience. Technician was no where near a good vein took her about 5 minutes of sticking me to get any blood out. Then, blood stopped flowing and she had to go get help! 5 minutes after that the needle fell out and squirted blood all over the place. Never again! read more

In the past this was an excellent program. For convenience I attempted to donate at church location. 11/18/2017. I did have an appointment. Was not greeted or acknowledged. Then a rude, abrupt person asked why I was there. She was doing intake. NOT friendly. NOT welcoming. Very curt. LONG, orange, very non professional fingernails. After 3 attempts 2 phlebotomists were unable to connect with my vein. Painful. Left after a very unpleasant, futile experience read more

I give blood whenever I can, but now I'm a little skeptical. The phlebotomist who took my blood was far from well training. When she first put the needle in my arm, she noticed the blood wasn't flowing. That right there should have been a sign the needle didn't hit the vein correctly. Instead of trying to fix the situation, I sat in the chair for a good 10 minutes without any blood being pulled. Another employee noticed blood wasn't flowing and came to try to "help". Needless to say all she really did was dig in my arm. It wasn't until the third person came over that the blood started flowing correctly. I am now left with a huge bruise on my arm. Never once have I had this experience give blood. Ever. read more

Gulf Coast Blood - 7 days after giving blood on Pint for Pint day at work - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Houston, Texas

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ATTENTION! ** the stars I give is not regarding the amazing and beautiful decision of donating blood** I work in the medical field and l know the importance of donating blood, plasma, platelets, and the hard and difficult times a family can pass when they don't have compatible blood. **the star l give is not because of the experience I had at the center** the centers are great and they always try to make you feel good and comfortable. the star is a way of advise PLEASE DONT GIVE ANY PHONE NUMBERS TO THEM give email, give address or whatever.. but please don't give phone number, this people enjoy calling you 24/7 asking you to donate blood. They have thousands of different phone numbers they can call you from, I've deleted/blocked exactly 23 different phone numbers from them. Its really annoying when in a day you receive 4 different types of anonymous calls. so think twice before you give them your phone number. DONATE BLOOD, DONATE LIFE!!! :) read more

What they do at Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is GREAT! Every time someone donates blood 3 lives are saved. I gave blood for the first time last year. I have been busy for read more

They butchered me pretty good to meet their goal. Towards the end my blood stopped flowing but they continued to move the needle around to complete their quota per donor. Their staff needs to be trained to abort the procedure when the blood stops flowing and not damage the vein. I won't be going back and will use another donor center in the future. I hope they enjoyed the last few drops of blood. read more

i truly don't understand all the negative reviews??? i've given blood at mobile site blood drives & blood centers all over the country since reaching the age i was able to do so in high school. so having given blood or plasma many many times in many places over the past 22 years, i haven't found a nicer more helpful staff nor more comfortable accommodations for donating blood than this location. the herculean work done by the blood center alone would merit a five star review, even if one had to sit on the floor in an un-airconditioned tent, let alone receive the padded lounge chairs & personal cable tv during each donation here plus treats and a catalog full of swag in gratitude. read more

Gulf Coast Blood - getting back to my giving routine... - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Houston, Texas

As someone who frequently makes blood donations, I didn't think much of doing it again at the mobile center at my school, considering I've done it multiple times at my other college. In between classes, I stopped by to make a blood donation, and even mentioned I have veins that roll so please be careful. Out of anyone who was there that could have taken my blood, the most incompetent woman was put with me. She didn't insert the needle properly, but didn't realize it so I kept having to squeeze harder and harder but no blood was coming out. Another lady came to check it out and she noticed the needle wasn't in right. She pulled it out a bit, blood gushed everywhere, but my vein was rolling bad by this point. Another lady came to help the second lady, they both were pulling the needle in and out, rotating it up and down in different positions and I'm about to pass out by now. Needless to say, this was the worst of the worst experience I've ever had. It's been 10 days and my arm is still sore. My vein collapsed. I have a bruise that keeps getting worse and worse. I just hope someone in charge sees this and realizes that the people volunteering could really hurt someone. read more

Gulf Coast Blood - 10 days after my blood donation at The mobile center at the University of Houston. - Blood & Plasma Donation Centers Near Me - Houston, Texas

Don't waste your time going to this place as they have no common sense. Wouldn't do a therapeutic phlebotomy because they wanted to see my HCT number on prescription and their computer was on break for 2 hours. They could see that I've been there before and what the minimum HCT number should be but couldn't connect the dots. I would advise not to waste time going there!!! read more

Do not ever donate blood to this organization!!! I donated once 10 years ago and they call my phone and harass me every three days. They are evil and I can't get them to stop calling. Even if I want to donate blood I would not even think of donating it to an organization that stalks its donors!!!! read more

BEWARE, If you donate blood to this place even once, you can never ever get them to stop calling you. They are like leeches that never let go. If you block one number, they just call from another one. I filed a complaint against them at the BBB, so we'll see if that works. read more

Loved Yolanda she did my blood donation at my school and was very cheerful made me less scared in doing it and took really good care of me highly recommend this place read more

The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center came to my university which is where I decided to donate blood. However, it took over an hour just to give me my physical to determine that I can give blood and then another hour before they actually started to take blood. I don't understand why it took so long since they weren't that busy and three people who arrived after me, were done before me. Then, an hour after donating, I vomited profusely which has never happened before and I think its from the stress of having to wait two hours to get my blood drawn. The people were very kind, but I was swapped from one person to another for each step of getting my blood drawn. It felt very disorganized and I did not have a good experience at all with this company read more