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26 Jun

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61 California Hospitals Recognized Nationally for Organ Donor Registration Campaigns

HRSA WPFL logo banner DLC CHA v2 rgbSAN 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

 

High concentration of Azithromycin in infected tissues is also caused by the fact that phagocytes and macrophages transport it to the site of infection and release in the area of inflammation. Azithromycin is prescribed in case of illness or injury at the time.

18 Jun

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

5377113_origRICHMOND, 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

High concentration of Azithromycin in infected tissues is also caused by the fact that phagocytes and macrophages transport it to the site of infection and release in the area of inflammation. Azithromycin is prescribed in case of illness or injury at the time.

20 May

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Organ Donation Featured on LA Television Program During Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month

LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 20, 2014 – Donor father Noel Nabua, along with OneLegacy Procurement Transplant Coordinator Michael Munoz-Romero were recently featured on Halo Halo, America’s Top Entertainment & Lifestyle show for Asian Pacific Americans. May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. 

Noel’s son, Elijah, was just 14 years old when he died. Noel says he and his wife made the decision to donate Elijah’s organs because it was “the right thing to do.” Watch the video above for the full interview.

To register as an organ, eye and tissue donor, click here.

Do you want to do more? Turn your car into a mobile billboard and help us raise awareness by reserving your Pink Dot Plate. Funds raised from the specialty license plate will help us save lives by funding statewide outreach and education programs.Pink Dot Plate Email Signature

High concentration of Azithromycin in infected tissues is also caused by the fact that phagocytes and macrophages transport it to the site of infection and release in the area of inflammation. Azithromycin is prescribed in case of illness or injury at the time.