Hemoglobinopathy Lab
UCSF's pediatric Hemoglobinopathy Lab, based at our Oakland location, provides comprehensive services for the diagnosis of red blood cell diseases such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia. We offer a wide range of inpatient and outpatient tests for kids from birth to adolescence. As the main support for California's newborn screening program, we provide confirmatory testing on all the state's babies born with a risk for red blood cell disease. Since opening in 1973, we've screened thousands of newborns in California and dozens of other states. The lab is certified by both the College of American Pathologists and the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act and is considered one of California's top facilities for blood screening.
We know how scary needles are for children, so we've worked hard to take as much of the trauma out of the process as we can. Our staff phlebotomists are experts at collecting samples from infants and children, using techniques that minimize the amount of blood drawn while making your child as comfortable as possible. We generally provide results with a clinical interpretation and recommendations within two weeks of sample collection. We'll let you know if it's going to take less or more time. Our staff hematologists (blood specialists) are available for consultation.
The lab is not only critical to patient care, but also a vital resource for researchers working to advance understanding of red blood cell diseases and develop better treatments. We're proud of our ability to combine family-focused care and medical research.
Our locations (1)
Awards & recognition
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Ranked among the nation's best in 11 specialties
Plan your visit
What to Bring
- Photo I.D.
- Health insurance card
- Insurance authorization, if required
- Doctor's referral, if required
- Recent test results related to your child's condition
- List of medications, including dosages, plus any your child is allergic to
- List of questions you may have
- Device or paper for taking notes
Support services
Fetal surgery firsts
The first open fetal surgery in the world was performed at UCSF in the early 1980s.
