Category Archives: CEO Blog

05 Nov

A Transparent Look at Organ Donation in California

Jim Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Donate Life California

It has been a while since Donate Life California has shared directly from our leadership team. As CEO, I want to open the doors again to conversations, to questions, and to the incredible stories that remind us why this mission matters.

It was more important than ever to restart this blog because of several recent articles that have spread misinformation and doubt among the public. I want to be proactive in sharing valuable information and creating a platform where people can ask questions and receive clear, factual answers.

Questions can be asked and answered here. While I personally hope every Californian will register as a donor and help save lives, I understand that not everyone shares the same beliefs or experiences. This is a space for dialogue. I will share facts about organ, eye, and tissue donation, and I trust readers to make the decisions that are right for them and their families.

I am a person and a public servant, working through our nonprofit, Donate Life California, who cares deeply about improving my community and making progress in public health issues such as organ donation, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.

Facing Challenges with Transparency

It was disappointing to see the negative media coverage about organ donation in recent months. From what I have learned, those articles did not consider all the available facts. When the stories came out, many Californians asked to be removed from the donor registry in response. By the time the full details and context emerged, the damage had already been done.

One of the reports that contributed to this confusion was covered in Newsweek, which highlighted how national reporting can unintentionally affect public perception.

As an organization, we are taking that seriously. We will update our Donate Life California website regularly, allowing Californians to see what we do and how we work to increase the number of registered donors. We work hard every day to bring about positive change, but the public has not always had the visibility they deserve into our efforts and outcomes.

People are smart. They are not going to believe us if we only paint a rosy picture of donation without acknowledging the real-world challenges that exist. Transparency adds credibility to the conversation and helps Donate Life California serve as a fair and balanced resource for information. We are open to discussion, fact-finding, and honest dialogue, acknowledging that not everyone comes from the same background or community.

A New Era of Education and Advocacy

One of the most exciting developments this year has been the passage of Assembly Bill 466, legislation that allows Donate Life California to expand our education efforts to college campuses.

Fewer and fewer teenagers are getting their driver’s licenses these days. To provide more consistent public education and increase donor registrations, we are reaching out to students in the CSU, UC, and California Community College systems. When adults are learning and planning for their futures, we want them to have the facts about donation so they can make informed decisions for themselves.

Students and young adults are the future of California. As they grow into independence, they can consider donation as part of their personal health choices and family conversations. With nearly 40 million people in California and only 19.7 million registered donors, there is a tremendous opportunity to save thousands of lives through the gift of donation.

If you want to understand the current scope of need, take a look at California’s organ transplant waiting list. It shows how many of our neighbors are waiting for a life-saving transplant.

I truly wish there were no transplant waiting list, and every day I come to work facing that challenge with hope and optimism.

Looking Ahead

Each month, on the first Wednesday, this blog will share updates about current events, legislative efforts, partnerships, and the incredible champions across our state who make donation possible. I will also use this space to share ideas, progress, and the questions we hear from our community.

If you have a question or topic you would like me to address, please send us an email at info@donatelifecalifornia.org. We will be creating a Q&A section to address the most frequently asked questions we receive.

I believe in the giving nature of Californians and their desire to be good neighbors and supportive community members. Ask your questions, help us save lives if you would like, and consider us your resource for balanced, factual information about donation.

Together, we can keep this meaningful conversation going and continue building trust, one story at a time.

For more information about Donate Life California, please visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or in Spanish at www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.

19 Oct

By
Jim Martin

in
CEO Blog Legislative Updates

End of Session Edition – Donate Life California Legislative Update

At the end of last month, California’s 2017 – 2018 Legislative Session officially came to a close. The Legislature itself adjourned session on August 31st and Governor Brown met his deadline to sign or veto bills on September 30th, marking the end of session. In the end, 1,016 bills were signed by the Governor and will become law. This includes two of Donate Life California’s sponsored bills.

We were lucky to have the opportunity to work with a variety of Donate Life champions in the legislature whether it was running sponsored bills, introducing resolutions in support of Donate Life Month, or taking the time to meet personally with Ambassadors.

Overall, 2018 was a successful legislative year for Donate Life California and the donation community. Two of our sponsored bills will become law, all while our opposed bills died by the end of session.

A Successful End of Session

Starting with Assembly Bill 2096 (Frazier), Donate Life California was successful in our efforts to create a voluntary contribution fund on the state income tax form. This bill was signed into law by the Governor and will allow individuals to make donations to Donate Life when they file their individual California Tax Returns. We are so proud to have the confidence and support of Assemblyman Jim Frazier in making this happen and in maximizing opportunities to continue our good work educating Californians about organ, eye, and tissue donation.

Another important Donate Life effort this year was AB 3211 (Kalra) – which improves how Californians can designate themselves as organ, eye, and tissue donors on the Advanced Health Care Directive Template Form. This bill also goes into effect in 2019 and helps filers make informed decisions regarding their decision to become donors and clarifies conflicts with end of life care and donation.

Blocking Harmful Legislation

Over the year we worked with coalitions to stop legislation that could potentially have negative impacts on donation and transplantation. We work closely with California’s organ procurement organizations to advocate for donation and transplantation issues. Ensuring legislators are aware of any unintended consequences their bills may have.

This year we were able to stop this harmful legislation or gain amendments to avoid negative impacts.

Our Work Will Continue Next Year

Long before this legislative session, State Senator Cathleen Galgiani has been a Donate Life Champion and this year specifically helped us continue our close partnership with the California DMV. Senator Galgiani and her staff have been assisting Donate Life in refining the donation question asked on DMV Forms and applications.

It is important to ask the donation question in a clear and concise manner, without confusing registrants. All while providing the most comprehensive information about the important decision of becoming an organ, eye, and tissue donor. While Senate Bill 987 passed through the legislature with unanimous support, it was vetoed by the governor along will a variety of DMV related bills

We anticipate continuing to work with the Senator and our partners at the DMV to ensure these updates become a reality in the upcoming 2019 – 2020 Legislative Session.

Thank You to Our Champions

While not all of our legislative agenda was achieved by end of session, we made significant strides to improve how we ask individuals to become donors and will be increasing funding for education on organ, eye and tissue donation.

Additionally, we had the opportunity to meet with a wide variety of elected officials and their staff to continue to educate them on the issues facing the donation community.

We clearly have enjoyed the partnerships and leadership of our elected leaders and authors this year and thank them and their staff for a great year of support and hard work in making these bills and changes a reality for the Donate Life community.

16 Aug

By
Jim Martin

in
CEO Blog

CEO Blog : Celebrating Summer & the Gift of Life

Everyone knows Californians love our summers. Whether we’re heading to the beach, taking a hike, or hitting the ballpark we’re celebrating the gift of life. All of us within the donation community know how important that gift is, the lives it can change, and the importance of celebrating life.

This summer, the Donate Life California team has been working hard to ensure our mission to save lives by increasing opportunities for Californians to join the organ, eye and tissue registry. It’s been a balance of hard work and a lot of fun as we help increase access to the gift of life.

Donate Life Califonia Finds A New Home in the Capital Region

Our team has recently marked the one year anniversary of moving the organization to the capital area in West Sacramento. With our offices being located near the Capitol, we have seen a great advantage in our legislative efforts for 2018 and in building the necessary relationships needed to protect and promote organ, eye and tissue donation.

The summer is also a busy time in the legislature. This year the Donate Life California team has been fighting to increase opportunities for Californians to give the gift of life by working on three pieces of legislation this year:

AB 2096 which establishes Donate Life California as one of the organizations to which taxpayers may make donations on the Franchise Tax Boards personal income tax forms.
AB 3211 which clarifies donation language used on the State’s template for Advanced Healthcare Directives.
SB 987 which adds clarification language about organ, eye, and tissue donation to the DMV’s DL 44 Form.

Find out more about these bills within our recent legislative update.

The office move has also facilitated a continued close relationship with California DMV leadership, a critical partner in our registration of new donors across the state. Recently, we’ve seen significant gains of 25% over traditional donor registration rates which are mainly attributable to Real ID requirements and technology advancements at the DMV. These increases have been noted over the last 6 weeks and we are anticipating their continuance until much later in 2018.

We’re Already Getting Ready to Celebrate the Gift of Life at the Rose Parade!

You might not believe it, but the summer is a busy time in regards to the Donate Life Rose Parade Float. The float’s team is working hard to ensure we’re all up and running as decorating and events start in just a few months.

As a sponsor of the float, Donate Life California will soon be announcing our 2019 Floragraph honoree so keep an eye out!

After attending the event at the start of the year I can tell you, it is hard not to be moved to emotion when hearing the stories of donors and recipients, meeting their families, and understanding the sacrifices and resilience of all involved.

The event connects thousands of volunteer hours to our mission in the construction and decoration of the Float. Donors, donor families, and recipients are all honored in the process and convene in Pasadena to celebrate the gift of life provided by organ donation. I am humbled to know and to have met so many great people who choose to celebrate lives lost and the gift of time given through organ donation. I can’t think of a better community of which to be a part of. I’m happy to be able to participate in this event on an annual basis, allowing me to grow my circle of friends and realize the altruistic impact donors and donor families choose to make.

Donate Life Celebrates at Events Around the State

Summer is a busy time around the state for all our organ procurement organizations who’ve been putting on events to share the message of donation and celebrate the gift of life. There have been run/walk events, Donate Life Days at MLB Ballparks, and so much more.

Our team has been heading out to many of these events and hope you’ll join us at one near you in the future. Be sure to keep an eye out on our event calendar or your local OPO’s event page. We hope to see you at an event soon!

We have other irons in the fire, so to speak, so be sure to keep an eye out for our newsletters in your inbox and follow us on social media for more updates.