I am pleased to announce that the Blood Center of New Jersey has received a variance from the Food and Drug Administration and the New Jersey Department of Health to use blood from therapeutic phlebotomies of hereditary hemochromatosis patients for transfusion.

In order for the blood to be used for transfusion, the patient must meet all of the existing donor suitability requirements for regular donors.  These requirements, though, will not prevent any hemochromatosis patient from receiving a therapeutic phlebotomy.  Whether or not the blood is transfusable, there will be no cost to the patient for a therapeutic phlebotomy.

We are now accepting HH patients in our regional donor centers in West Orange and Parsippany.  We invite you to refer your patients to us where they can be treated at no charge.  Patients may donate at any time during our regularly scheduled donor hours, but must have a prescription from you in order to donate more frequently than the 56 day interval.  The prescription needs to include the following:  donor name, social security number, diagnosis, target hemoglobin level, frequency of donation, and the current date.  The prescription is good for one year.

We are excited about this new development.  It is not only a means to have more transfusable blood available, but it also serves as a no-cost alternative for patients.

We have brochures with patient information available.  To order, please fill out the web site order form or call Judy Daniels at 973-676-4700, x104. 

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this new program.  I can be reached at 973-676-4700, x102.

Sincerely,

Eric Senaldi, MD

Medical Director

The Blood Center of New Jersey
45 South Grove Street
East Orange, New Jersey  07018
1-800-NJBLOOD
1-973-676-4700

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