New Safeguards for Living Organ Donors

RICHMOND, Va., Apr. 25, 2003 -- Seventeen Americans die each day waiting for an organ transplant, a figure that Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson says is much too high.

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson breaks ground for the National Donor Memorial ConsumerAffairs.com Photo

As he led groundbreaking ceremonies for the National Donor Memorial, Thompson unveiled a new "best practices" program to increase organ donation rates in America's 200 largest hospitals to 75% of eligible donors from a current average of 46%.

"Achieving this goal would result in saving or enhancing thousands of lives each year. We are committed to significantly reduce the 17 unnecessary deaths that occur each day in this country while people wait for a transplantation," Thompson said.

Thompson also outlined a four-point program on behalf of living donors, who account for more than half of all organ donations.

"We must research the long-term outcomes of living donors. All living donors must give voluntary, knowing, and fully-informed consent. All living donors should have an independent advocate at the hospital to represent only their interests. And they should have a separate resource center."

"The Department is committed to making living donation as safe as possible. Currently, the NIH is conducting a study on the safety of being a living liver donor. In addition to this study, the Department has asked the NIH to convene a planning meeting to develop a research agenda on the safety of living donation," Thompson said.

The Greatest Gift • MOD Squad Helps Families Make the Greatest Gift • Strangers to the Rescue: Living Organ Donations • "Angels From God:" Stories of Organ Donation • Organ Donation: How It Works • A Critical Need • Organ and Tissue Facts • Transplant Timeline --- • Study Eyes Payments for Living Organ Donors • Wealthy Saudi Received Liver Transplant Ahead of Other Patients • AMA Hopes to Increase Organ Donations • New Safeguards for Living Organ Donors

Located at the new headquarters of the United Networks for Organ Sharing in downtown Richmond, the National Donor Memorial will honor organ and tissue donors and underscore the critical need for increased organ donation. It will include a 10,000 square-foot garden and a virtual component, www.donormemorial.org, a Web site featuring tributes to organ and tissue donors.

UNOS is a not-for-profit organization that manages the nation's organ transplant system under contract with HHS. It maintains the database that matches available organs with potential organ recipients. Also, under its contract with HHS, UNOS brings together medical professionals, transplant recipients and donor families to further develop organ transplantation policy.

Thompson's appearance and the dedication of the memorial were part of the celebration of the first-ever National Donate Life Month.

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