Category Archives: Press Release

26 Jun

61 California Hospitals Recognized Nationally for Organ Donor Registration Campaigns

SAN DIEGO, Calif., June 26, 2014 – The California Hospital Association (CHA) and Donate Life California congratulate 61 California medical centers, hospitals and health systems for receiving national recognition of their efforts to increase organ donor designations. The organizations were honored as part of the 2014 Workplace Partnership for Life (WPFL) Hospital Campaign sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.

Hospitals are uniquely positioned to educate patients, visitors, members of the community, and their own staff and caregivers about the life-saving importance of becoming an organ and tissue donor. California’s four organ procurement organizations (OPOs) collaborate with hospitals to provide educational materials on organ, eye and tissue donation and host promotional events such as Donate Life flag-raising ceremonies, media opportunities, donor family events and more.

This year, each OPO enrolled its region’s hospitals in Phase III of the 2014 WPFL Hospital Campaign and tracked their Donate Life activities between June 2013 and May 2014 to accumulate points toward a gold, silver or bronze level recognition. Eight hospitals earned gold medals, 11 earned silver medals and 42 earned bronze. All 61 hospitals were recognized at the Association for Organ Procurement Organizations 2014 Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Md. A full list of recognized California hospitals can be found at http://organdonor.gov/howhelp/recognitionlists_6_25.pdf.

“It is absolutely incredible to see our hospitals’ increasing commitment to educating their employees and communities on the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation,” said Joan Cardellino, director, volunteer services at California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. “Last year, just one California hospital participated in the WPFL campaign. To have 61 recognized this year is a testament to the successful efforts of California hospitals to create a culture of donation.”

“We couldn’t be happier with the results of the 2014 WPFL Hospital Campaign,” said Charlene Zettel, Donate Life California CEO. “California has the largest waiting list in the country, with nearly 22,000 people in need of life-saving organ transplants. Yet, with about 35 million people in California, only one-third have registered their wishes to become organ and tissue donors. While we have 11 million on our registry, we are not keeping pace with the generous spirit for which California is known. We are confident our partnership with California’s hospitals, CHA and organ and tissue recovery organizations will save lives by inspiring more people to sign up as donors.”

Each day, 79 people in the U.S. receive life-saving organ transplants, and thousands more benefit from cornea and tissue transplants. These extraordinary gifts have been generously donated by people of all ages and backgrounds who took just a few minutes to indicate their decisions to become organ and tissue donors. However, broader awareness of the need for organ, eye and tissue donation is crucial. More than 123,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant nationwide, and each week more than 100 die because no organ is available.

CHA and Donate Life California encourage others to give the gift of life by signing up today to become an organ, eye, and tissue donor at www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org.

Fast Facts about organ, eye and tissue donation:

In 2013, organ donors in California saved more than 3,000 lives and improved thousands more with eye and tissue donation.
One organ donor can save as many as eight lives and improve many more through eye and tissue donation.
Anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race or medical history.

About Donate Life California:

The Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry is the nonprofit, state-authorized organ, eye and tissue donor registry. As a public service, the registry assures that all personal information is kept confidential and stored in a secure database, accessible only to authorized organ and tissue recovery personnel at the time of an actual donation opportunity. The registry is administered by Donate Life California and California’s four nonprofit, federally designated organ recovery organizations: Donor Network West (formerly CTDN), Lifesharing, OneLegacy and Sierra Donor Services. For more information about Donate Life California; how organ, eye and tissue donation saves and improves lives; and to sign up, please visit www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or in Spanish at www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.

Please visit Donate Life California’s Stories of Hope web page to read inspiring stories about organ and tissue donors and recipients from around the state.

Contacts:
Jan Emerson-Shea, Vice President, External Affairs, CHA, 916-443-7401
Brianne Mundy, Program Manager, Donate Life California, 619-563-5137

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18 Jun

By
Administrator

in
News Press Release

Deaths Equivalent to 22 Jumbo Jets Crashing Every Year Due to Organ Donor Shortage

RICHMOND, VA, June 17, 2014 – Transplant surgeon and researcher, Christopher Barry, MD, PhD, presented new data analysis today at the Donate Life America Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD that indicates the average number of people who die each year before they can receive a lifesaving organ transplant is nearly 11,000 – or 30 people every day.

“That is the equivalent of 22 jumbo jets crashing every year with no survivors,” says Dr. Barry.

Since 1999, the donation and transplantation community has cited that the number of people who die while on the national transplant waiting list has hovered around 6,500 a year, or 18 a day. However, this does not take into account the more than 4,000 people who are removed from the waiting list every year due to being “too sick to transplant.”

“Being removed from the list because you are ‘too sick to transplant’ is generally not a good sign,” says Dr. Barry. “For people with end-stage liver, heart or lung failure, it usually means that they will die in a short period of time. There are certainly some people who can get back on the list because they are no longer ‘too sick,’ but they are in the minority.”

In addition, Donate Life America released the seventh annual National Donor Designation Report Card, which reports 117 million people had enrolled in state donor registries by the end of 2013. While the number of registered donors continues to rise steadily, it has not increased quickly enough to meet the needs of the growing national transplant waiting list.

According to Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), the waiting list has grown from 65,313 to 123,089 since 1999 – nearly a two-fold increase. Those who are taken off the waiting list for being “too sick” has increased almost four-fold over that same period. Despite the clinical success of transplant therapy for end stage organ failure, the number of transplants performed has remained generally flat for the past decade.

“We must consider those who die after being taken off the waiting list for being ‘too sick to transplant’ as victims of the national organ shortage, because a donor organ did not come in time for them to be transplanted and restored to health.” says David Fleming, President and CEO of Donate Life America. “We can end this public health crisis by increasing the number of registered donors, promoting preventative health initiatives and encouraging people to consider living donation.”

Dr. Barry added, “It’s important to note that the equivalent of 56 jumbo jets, or 28,000 people, land safely and successfully each year through lifesaving transplants from both deceased and living donors. Donation is proven to save lives. We just need more of it.”

To register as a donor or for more information about donation please visit www.donatelife.net.

About Donate Life America

Donate Life America is a 501(c)3 not–for-profit alliance of national organizations and Donate Life State Teams across the United States committed to saving and healing lives through increased organ, eye and tissue donation. Donate Life America, with the help of its corporate partners is dedicated to spreading the word about the importance of being a registered donor so that others may live. Our vision is a nation that embraces organ, eye and tissue donation as a fundamental human responsibility. Donate Life America manages and promotes the national brand for donation, Donate LifeSM, and assists Donate Life State Teams and national partners in facilitating high-performing donor registries; developing and executing effective multimedia donor education programs, and motivating the American public to register as organ, eye and tissue donors.

Contact: Aaron Kelchner
akelchner@donatelife.net
804-377-3584

09 Apr

By
Administrator

in
News Press Release

New National Record: 11 Million Californians Say “YES!” to Saving Lives as Registered Organ, Eye & Tissue Donors

SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 8, 2014 – 11 MILLION CALIFORNIANS are registered organ, eye and tissue donors. With this new milestone, California broadens its footprint as the largest organ, eye and tissue donor registry in the country and the world.

Donate Life California, which manages the state-authorized donor registry, joined the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) today to announce this milestone and to kick off National Donate Life Month. Each year in April, Donate Life organizations in all 50 states participate in a nationwide campaign to inspire their communities to register as organ, eye and tissue donors to save and improve lives.

“Today, we celebrate and thank each and every one of the 11 million people in our state who have signed up on the Donate Life California Registry,” said Cindy Siljestrom, Donate Life California Board President. “Your registration gives hope to the 21,000 people who wait for the gift of life in California. Some will die waiting for an organ transplant that doesn’t come in time due to the lack of available organs. Our hope is everyone will choose to be a donor to save lives. Even with our milestone number of 11 million registrations, only one out of every three adults in California is a registered donor. I encourage all Californians to register today to give hope to those who wait.”

The continued growth of the registry gives hope to the countless families who depend on the altruistic kindness of strangers to extend the lives of their loved ones.

Luca Salcone, liver recipient

“An organ donor hero saved my son’s life,” said Katie Salcone of Folsom. “We almost lost Luca, but thanks to a liver transplant in the eleventh hour, we get to watch him grow up. I don’t know how we’ll ever adequately thank our donor or his/her family. We share our story with the hope that everyone will register as a donor at the DMV or online – it’s truly a life-saving opportunity.”

Three years ago, Katie and Chris Salcone were told their 18-month-old son, Luca, needed a liver transplant immediately. Without it, he had only days, if not hours, to live. But, his chances of a liver match being found in time were very, very slim. Against all odds, a match was found that very night, thanks to someone saying “yes” to organ donation.

In California, residents can join the registry by checking “YES!” at the DMV or signing up online at www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org.

“The DMV is proud to partner with Donate Life California. Organ and tissue donation gives people from all walks of life a second chance at life,” said Jean Shiomoto, DMV Director. “The ability to impact organ and tissue donation through the DMV process is our privilege and responsibility. We are honored to be an instrumental part of saving and healing lives.”

The DMV is an important Donate Life California partner, with 95 percent of California’s 11 million registered organ, eye and tissue donors having checked “YES!” while applying for or renewing their California driver license or ID.

California Assembly Speaker John Pérez also joined Donate Life California and the DMV in celebrating the 11 million registry milestone. Speaker Pérez is a long-standing supporter of Donate Life California and a proud donor son. His father became an organ donor when he passed away a few years ago.

“I am deeply grateful for the work that Donate Life California and their volunteers do every single day,” said Speaker Pérez. “The work they do makes a profound difference in the lives of the people on the waiting list and their families. Our state has the largest population of folks needing an organ transplant, and Donate Life California helps spread the message that all of us have the opportunity to give someone a new lease on life by becoming an organ donor. I am proud of the work they do to spread this vital message to every Californian.”

Fast Facts:

In 2013, organ, eye and tissue donors in California saved more than 3,000 lives, and improved thousands more with eye and tissue donation.
18 people across the country die each day awaiting life-saving organ transplants.
More than 21,000 people (about 20 percent of the national list) who wait for a life-saving organ transplant live in California.

About Donate Life California:

More Fast Facts from Donate Life California:

All major religions support or permit organ, eye and tissue donation.
You’re never too old to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor.
Do not rule yourself out! People with all medical conditions are potential donors.

Please visit Donate Life California’s Stories of Hope web page to read inspiring stories about organ and tissue donors and recipients from around the state.