Frequently Asked Questions
General FAQ's
It’s part of CGT Global, a life-sciences company that accelerates the prevention and cure of diabetes, heart disease and many other diseases by supporting the global biomedical research community.
All around the world, researchers trying to find cures and treatments for life’s significant medical conditions were looking for a reliable and timely source of human-derived samples and blood. CGT Global opened its first CGT Clinic location in 2013 to help meet that need and shorten the time it takes to find new treatments and cures to reach patients.
Our CGT Clinics welcomes community members willing to make a difference by becoming a blood or bone marrow donor. Our trained staff will educate you on the various types of donations, and will walk you through your entire donation.
In our own state-of-the-art facility, CGT Global performs extensive lab work to test and purify the donated samples so that researchers can use them. Sometimes this requires isolating cells, which is a complex process.
When CGT Clinics has been able to successfully prepare the samples, we ship them to scientists and researchers around the world relying on the cells of the human blood system to find new ways to treat and cure disease.
Donations are used for research purposes only.
All donors must be free of infectious diseases. We’ll take a small blood draw at your initial visit and test it and confirm.
Additional Donation Specific Requirements Include:
Blood Donors
- Over 18 years of age
Bone Marrow Donors
- Over 18 and under 55 years of age
- Free of lower back or hip pain
- Body mass index of 32 or lower (determined when we measure your height and weight at your first visit)
Apheresis Donors
- We will check your veins at the health screening and let you know if you are eligible for Apheresis donations.
Yes. We provide researchers with donor identification numbers in place of names to keep our donors anonymous. We are dedicated to maintaining confidentiality.
Donors who complete a preliminary health screening receive a $25 reloadable credit card.
Qualified donors who return to a CGT Clinic to donate blood or bone marrow can get a gift card ranging from $25 to $1,000 depending on the size and type of the donation. Compensation is received upon completion of every appointment.
When you receive your gift card, you accept responsibility for that credit card.
CGT Clinics are not responsible for lost, stolen, or expired gift cards.
The specific details of our acceptable forms of identification are as follows:
Primary form of ID
You will need a valid version of one of the following forms of ID:
- Driver’s license with a photo
- Immigration and Naturalization Service card (green card)
- State ID
- Employee ID with a photo
- Passport
- Student ID with a photo
- Military ID
NOTE: Any invalid (ie: expired) version of a Primary ID is considered a Secondary ID
Secondary form of ID
When a primary form of ID is not available, you will need two secondary forms of ID with your first and last name present.
- Any invalid (ie: expired) version of a Primary ID
- Student ID without a photo
- Driver’s license without a photo
- Credit card or bank card
- Employee ID without a photo
- Birth certificate (original or certified copy)
- Personal checkbook with name and address
- Social Security card
- Voter registration card
- Payroll stub
- Vehicle registration
- Fishing or hunting license
- Grocery store frequent shopper card or VIP card
- Club or museum membership card
- Library card
- Professional license (ie: RN, LPN or MT)
- Selective Service card
- Insurance card
Whole Blood Donation
No, in fact we suggest eating and being well hydrated before you come in.
Possibly. If so, a staff member will tell you when you schedule your appointment.
Yes. Because our donations are for research purposes only, our restrictions differ from some other donation centers.
While some medications may rule you out, there are many medications that will not. When you come in for your screening, please provide a complete list of all medications you are currently taking, including vitamins and as-needed medications such as inhalers. If you have questions about your eligibility to donate due to a medical condition, please contact your physician or call us.
Bone Marrow Donation
There can be some discomfort during and after the bone marrow procedure. The level of pain donors experience varies widely from donor to donor. Soreness should lessen each day and go away entirely in one to two weeks.
You can bring someone to the appointment, but they will have to wait in the waiting room during your bone marrow procedure.
White Blood Cell (Apheresis) Donation
No, in fact we suggest eating and being well hydrated before you come in.
Possibly. If so, a staff member will tell you when you schedule your appointment.
CGT recommends using the restroom prior to the start of the donation, however the need to use the bathroom while sitting for 4-5 hours may arise.
Each donor has their own room during the donation process where a urinal can be offered if you need to use the restroom.
If there are any concerns regarding the ability to use the restroom please discuss with our team at the time of booking so we can ensure any questions or concerns are addressed.
Yes, you can have someone with you while you donate, provided they are old enough to remain unsupervised. Staff cannot be responsible for children while you are donating.
During the procedure, you may experience some tingling or numbness in your lips due to a loss of calcium from the anticoagulant used in the apheresis procedure. If this occurs, let a staff member know and they can provide you with calcium tablets to make it stop. After the procedure, you should feel no adverse effects.
Mobilized White Blood Cell Donation
Most donors feel flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches or fatigue for 1–2 days. These are temporary and usually mild.
| Mobilized donation is by invitation only. You must first complete a regular white blood cell donation and meet additional criteria. |