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What is MyCode?

The MyCode Community Health Initiative is a precision medicine project enrolling at Geisinger locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It includes a system-wide biobank designed to store blood and other samples for research use by Geisinger and Geisinger collaborators. 

MyCode analyzes the DNA of patient-participants who sign up. More than 190,000 patient-participants have already signed up and our goal is to give every Geisinger patient the opportunity to participate. With such a large body of data, we hope to find ways to make healthcare better - for you, your family, your community and individuals around the world. We do this through research and, where appropriate, through the application of that research to your personal care. For example, we are already improving healthcare by finding ways to diagnose medical conditions earlier – even before symptoms appear – and also to help find new treatments or medications to manage these diseases.

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Join MyCode: two simple steps.

MyGeisinger Consent Form

Step one: read, sign and return the consent form.

This can be done:

  • in person at a clinic
  • online through MyGeisinger
  • by calling (toll free) 1-844-798-1687

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Step two: donate a sample

You can donate your blood by reminding the medical staff the next time you are in a clinic having blood drawn for medical purposes that you would like them to draw the small additional sample of blood (about two tablespoons) for the MyCode program.

What happens next?

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Data is sent to the lab.

Your sample will be coded anonymously and will be stored for research. It may be sent to our partners at Regeneron Genetics Center for sequencing all or part of your genome.

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Your DNA is analyzed for genetic changes.

In a small percentage of cases – about 2% – we will discover that you have a genetic change that puts you at a higher risk for one of the known genetic conditions which can be medically treated or managed, mostly cancers and cardiovascular risk.

In these cases, this information will be confirmed in a certified clinical laboratory before we inform you and your medical provider about the finding and place the information into your medical record.

If you have a result returned, you will be afforded the opportunity to speak with a member of our genetics team and/or your medical provider about your result.

Donate your sample

Any time a Geisinger patient has a normally scheduled blood draw, they can request to have a MyCode sample taken. MyCode participants can also visit any Geisinger Medical Laboratory to have a MyCode specific blood draw.