Helping an MD Anderson Patient

It’s easy to deliver a healthy dose of good cheer to an MD Anderson patient.

Step 1: Find out your friend or loved one’s room number. If you don’t know it, you may call the Welcome Center at 713-792-2121 or 800-889-2094 (toll-free) for assistance.

Step 2: Check with the floor’s charge nurse for restrictions. Some patients may not be able to keep fresh flowers or live plants in their rooms due to the risk of infection. If flowers or plants aren’t allowed, consider sending a balloon bouquet or snack gift basket instead.

Step 3: Place your order. You can do this through the florist of your choice or by calling MD Anderson’s The Park Flower and Gift Shop at 713-792-4438. Please make sure to communicate any restrictions before ordering.

All greeting cards, letters and packages sent by U.S. mail to MD Anderson patients should be sent to the dedicated post office box created expressly for this purpose:

Patient Name/Room #
MD Anderson Cancer Center
PO BOX 300206
Houston, TX 77230

Deliveries made by UPS or Fedex must use the main building’s street address, as those companies will not deliver to post office boxes:

Patient Name/Room #
MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd.
Houston, TX 77030

Patients whose families are staying at the Rotary House may also receive mail there. Cards, letters and packages sent in care of the Rotary House should be addressed as follows:

Patient Name (no room number)
Jesse H. Jones Rotary House
1600 Holcombe Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77030-4012

Please note that anything sent to the Rotary House should include the patient’s name (not the hotel guests’ names) in the mailing address. In the interest of privacy, patient room numbers should not be included at this location.

Learn more: Curious about how mail is processed at MD Anderson? Find out in this related story.

If the patient has a phone in his or her room and you know the number, you may call it directly.

If you don’t know the phone (or the room) number, you may call the main switchboard at 713-792-2121 or 800-889-2094 (toll-free) for assistance.

Donating blood in someone’s name is both generous and simple. Just mention the name of the patient or their medical record number at the time blood is given, and your donation will be tied to that person.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• While it is possible that your friend or loved one could receive the actual blood you donated, it is unlikely. You may be different — and incompatible — blood types. Your friend or relative may also need a transfusion either before your blood has been processed or after it has expired.
• Blood and blood products are considered medicine just as much as prescription drugs are. So every time you donate blood in someone’s name, you are helping to offset the cost of their treatment. Patients receive a monetary credit on their transfusion bill for every blood donation made in their name.
• Directed donations are those in which a patient receives blood products provided by a specific person (such as from one sibling to another). This type of donation is not provided as a standard. It deals solely with white blood cells, and can only be ordered by a treating physician.
• Self-directed donations are those in which you bank your own blood. People sometimes do this before having a medical procedure, in case they need a transfusion. You must have physician approval to donate blood for yourself. Call 713-792-7777 for details.

For a list of locations where you can donate blood, please visit the Donors/Volunteers page.

MD Anderson has representatives on hand to assist many different types of donors in coordinating blood drives, including:

• Businesses
• Government offices
• Schools/school districts
• Media organizations
• Churches
• Universities
• Sororities

For details and contact information, please visit the Donors/Volunteers page or call 713-792-7777.

A list of patient care locations in the Texas Medical Center is here, and the addresses of all of our locations are here. Details on where to park and how to navigate the Texas Medical Center are available, too.

You can also use the Access wayfinding system, which offers several methods to get you where you need to go. You can find directions using either an address or a landmark, or locate buildings either by name (e.g. Mays Clinic) or by entering your appointment information.

Our visitation policies prioritize the safety of our patients and may vary depending on care needs and location. Adult patients can bring one adult visitor or caregiver (18 and older) with them per day. Everyone is required to pass entry screening and must wear the MD Anderson-issued face mask.

To ensure safety, patients with COVID-19 or possible COVID-19 won’t be allowed a visitor. In addition, visitors are not allowed to accompany patients scheduled for symptomatic testing.

For more details, please review our COVID-19 information page.

There are many ways to help. You can donate money, host a fundraiser, honor loved ones, or plan your beneficiary gifts through stocks, estates and more.

For details, please visit the Donors & Volunteers webpage, or call the Development Office at 1-800-525-5841.