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Every donation makes a difference.

Donating blood and plasma is safe, easy and needed right now. Learn how you can help.

Schedule an appointment Learn how to donate plasma

You may be wondering why blood supplies are low during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It’s not that patients with COVID-19 need blood. The severe shortages are the result of blood drive cancellations brought on by physical distancing measures.

In fact, thousands of blood drives have been canceled across the U.S. Meanwhile, traumatic accidents are still happening, and emergency surgeries are still being performed. And blood donations are needed.

Donate blood or plasma today

We've taken the precautions to make it safe for you to help save another's life.

Donate now

Here’s what you need to know:

Donating blood is safe.

We have resumed mobile blood drives in a limited capacity through Miller-Keystone Blood Center. We’re also accepting blood donations at the Miller-Keystone Blood Centers. 

It is safe to donate blood — COVID-19 is not transmitted through blood. Social distancing and crowd-size guidelines are keeping blood donors and staff protected. And blood donations are done by appointment only, with no walk-ins permitted.

Schedule an appointment at a Miller-Keystone Blood Center today.

As always, be sure to take proper precautions to protect yourself and others, including:

  • Wear a cloth or fabric mask.
  • Wash your hands as soon as you get home.
  • Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Keep at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others.


Donating blood is easy.  

Schedule an appointment at a Miller-Keystone Blood Center today. Setting up appointments limits the number of people gathered in one location. In addition:

  • We sanitize all equipment between uses.
  • We dispose of everything that touches blood, including the needles and test tubes.
  • One of our screening questions is whether potential donors feel well — if not, we’ll ask them to try again when they’re feeling better.

Recovered from COVID-19? You can donate plasma.

 
If you’ve had COVID-19 and recovered, you might be able to help someone else who’s sick by donating your blood plasma. The unique antibodies found in your blood plasma could help them fight the illness.

To donate through the Miller-Keystone Blood Center COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Donation Program, you must meet certain requirements:

  • You must be healthy and eligible to be a volunteer community blood donor.
  • If you’ve had a pregnancy, tissue transplant or transfusion, you must be negative for HLA antibodies (the blood center can test you to find out your HLA status).
  • You must be able to show that you were diagnosed with COVID-19.
  • You must have been symptom-free for 28 days (or had a negative follow-up COVID-19 test if symptom-free for at least 14 days).

Here’s how to donate:

  1. Call your doctor or message them through MyGeisinger and ask them to complete and sign this form.*
  2. They can return the form to you through MyGeisinger, email, fax or postal mail.
  3. When you have the completed form from your doctor, call Miller-Keystone at 800-B-A-DONOR and make an appointment to give convalescent plasma. You’ll get a reminder call the day before your appointment. Remember to bring the attestation form to your appointment, or you won’t be able to donate.

Have questions about plasma donation?

Email dwiest@GiveAPint.org or tbacon@GiveAPint.org

Call or text 484-225-8351 or call 610-691-5850, ext. 1279

*If you have trouble getting your doctor to complete this form, contact Gustaaf de Ridder, MD, PhD, at gderidder@geisinger.edu or 919-452-8976.

You can make a difference.

You can fight feelings of helplessness or uncertainty during these unsettled times. Donating blood or plasma are positive actions you can take that directly help those in your community. Together, we can help save lives.

Upcoming blood drives