Vitalant Blood Donation- Coeur d'Alene

chammy chops

They don't deserve your blood. I saw the mobile unit outside of the dollar store today and thought I would stop by to donate because I know theres a shortage. Well, they seemed to not like it that I just walked up out of the blue to donate.. which is what I thought the mobile units were for. But they said they weren't busy, so they could take me. So they started taking my info, and the lady asked if I was using a "fake name" which is weird.. because why would my name be fake on my driver's license. Then, when she found my info, she saw my blood type was very rare and told me they wanted plasma instead of my blood. I don't donate plasma because its painful. They refused my blood donation and made me feel like there was something wrong with my blood.. very embarrassing. I definitely won't ever donate with them.

andrew hernnadez

It used to be easy to give blood. I have rare blood, so I give as often as I can. I have adjusted to certain inconveniences because I feel it is important and valuable to give. There is no donation center near where I live, so I either drive 45 miles or wait for them to bring a mobile unit to my town. I can work with that even though it means I can't give as often as I would like to. I was unable to give for the past year due to a bone graft. I became eligible again a couple of weeks ago. So today, after making the earliest appointment possible after becoming eligible, and after I received both and email and a telephone call confirming my appointment, and after going on line and filling in the Fast Track information, then sitting down with the intake person, I was told that some unknown issue prevented me from donating today. Neither the intake person nor the person I spoke to at the number he gave me to call could tell me what was wrong. I received a "best guess" that it could be an issue related to both Blood Source (where I gave many years ago) and Inland Northwest Blood Center being converted to Vitalant. I learned that the issue was apparently known to Vitalant back in July. So between July and mid-October Vitalant had multiple opportunities to alert me and solve whatever issue they have. There is NO PHYSICAL REASON WHY I COULD NOT GIVE TODAY. Yet it is not as if I can just choose a different organization. They have a monopoly and I am dependent upon their ability to manage their business. I now will be waiting for someone to call or mail to me to say they have resolved their issue, after which I will need to wait for a date when they will once again have their mobile crew in my town. Such a waste of a blood donation I am rather certain that is needed.

Big Sky

Due to the availability of signing up "on-line" is great...if you live in a perfect world! I have to do walk-ins due to my time schedule! I had to skip a whole month due to either people going to lunch...out to lunch or not enough room! My time is important...just like everybody else but to have to skip donating blood because of conflicting lunch hours shouldn't have to be an option! And because there is only "one" donation location...it sucks in having to fight to donate! They need to open another donation center in the CdA area of Idaho! It appears now that month #2 is going to be missed because of the lack of planning and the turning away of those who choose to donate blood as a walk-in at "vitalant blood"!

Dave Henderson

Last week my wife and I encountered your blood bank bus at Miller's store in Spirit lake. Three personnel were visible in through the front window, talking and laughing, while another admitted my wife into the bus by the side entrance. My wife offered to give blood, but was told she'd have to wait ten minutes until they were "open". It was cold & rainy, they weren't busy, we left. We won't be back.