CSL Plasma, Inc., a leading collector of human plasma in the nation with more than 190 locations, is seeking donors at its new donation center, 1530 W. Jefferson St., Joliet.
The facility opened its doors Tuesday to the community.
Andrew Franzen, center manager for Joliet’s CSL Plasma, said the site’s setup uses the company’s latest prototype to promote efficiency and ease of service.
The facility comes equipped at this time with 18 PCS-2 plasma collection systems made by Haemonetics. Devices of this type allow the center to serve up to 18 donors at a time.
People are encouraged to stop by the center to make a donation. The amount of time allotted to donate typically ranges from 45-50 minutes.
“We have trained nursing staff supervised by a physician,” said Lori Carlson, associate director of operations and quality for CSL Plasma.
For some, the distinction between giving blood and donating plasma is not clear.
Franzen said the difference is the amount of time it takes the body to replenish what is drawn.
Typically, giving blood requires 56 days to recuperate, whereas it takes seven days for plasma.
“Donors should not feel tired,” Carlson said.
The center has the ability to help or improve the lives of roughly 500 people a day. It typically takes 1,200 donors to give one treatment.
Plasma is commonly used to treat a number of different diseases and conditions, including hemophilia, shock or trauma, immune deficiencies and other blood disorders.
Collections will be stored on site and later transported to a refraction plant in nearby Kankakee.
Carlson said the process of storing plasma involves a controlled process.
“The freezer operates by volume,” she said, adding that mapping and validation allows for a certain number of collections to be kept at a time.
On average, the freezer maintains a temperature of -37°Celsius.
“The faster the units can freeze, the higher the quality of proteins captured,” Carlson said. “That’s the desired outcome.”
New donors can earn up to $400 per month, according to its website. Compensation and promotions for eligible, qualified donors vary by location and weight.
Carlson said CSL Plasma wants to continue partnering with the community to get past the negative perceptions associated with giving plasma generated in the 1980s.
“Donors will come in for a variety of reasons,” Carlson said. “Most importantly, they’re helping to improve and save lives.”
Collection centers are already set up in several communities in Illinois and that includes Montgomery, Melrose Park, Hazel Crest and Rockford.
CSL Plasma took into consideration the city of Joliet’s demographics and buyer market rates when selecting a location.
“Basically, we like to sample areas,” Franzen said. “We want to reach out and be part of the community. We have other sister companies, and we want the CSL brand name to get out there.”
In the past, CSL Plasma has supported several causes, including Special Olympics’ Polar Plunge, Shop with a Cop and backpack giveaways.
“We’re trying to reach out to the community to show a different side of the business,” Franzen said.
Interested donors need to meet a set of requirements in order to give and that includes having government-issued identification, proof of local address, valid social security number and more.
For more information, visit www.cslplasma.com.