Elmhurst Hospital Center Gets Donor Award
Staff and administrators of Elmhurst Hospital Center, including Queens Health Network Regional Medical Director Dr. Jasmin Moshirpur, Queens Health Network Senior Vice President Dr. Ann Sullivan and Elmhurst Hospital Center Executive Director Chris Constantino, join New York Organ Donor Network Director of Hospital and Family Services Linda Bowes as Bowes presents EHC with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Bronze Medal of Honor for substantially raising organ donation rates of eligible donors.On Wednesday, April 21, the New York Organ Donor Network awarded Elmhurst Hospital Center (EHC) the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Bronze Medal of Honor for substantially raising organ donation rates of eligible donors from its facility. The award was accepted by Dr. Jasmin Moshirpur, Regional Medical Director of the Queens Health Network, Dr. Ann Sullivan, Senior V.P., Queens Health Network, and Elmhurst Hospital Center Executive Director Chris Constantino.
Elmhurst Hospital Center is one of 428 hospitals nationwide and one of only seven regionally to receive this honor. There are more than 100 hospitals in the greater New York metropolitan area and approximately 3,000 hospitals throughout the United States. EHC received the Bronze Medal for achieving a 75 percent conversion rate for eight or more eligible organ donors during the 22-month award period ending in April 2009.
During the presentation ceremony, New York Organ Donor Network Director of Hospital and Family Services Linda Bowes said: “We congratulate and thank the staff of Elmhurst Hospital Center. They have set a wonderful example for the entire region and my hope is that as role models they will inspire all of the other medical facilities to meet these ambitious but nevertheless realizable goals.”
Bowes also noted that there are now more than 100,000 patients waiting for organ transplants in the U.S. “The number of patients awaiting organ transplants in the greater New York metropolitan area exceeds 8,000,” she added. “Each day, an average of 18 people die because of the dire organ shortage and a new name is added to the waiting list every 13 minutes.”
By enrolling in the New York State Donate Life Registry, Bowes said, “New Yorkers can make certain that their decision to be a donor, should they be eligible, will be legally binding.” To learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation, and to enroll in the New York State Donate Life Registry, visit www.donatelifeny.org.
Elmhurst Hospital Center (EHC) is the major tertiary care provider in the borough of Queens. The hospital is comprised of 545 beds and is a Level I Trauma Center, an Emergency Heart Care Station and a 911 Receiving Hospital. It is the premiere healthcare organization for key areas such as surgery, cardiology, women’s health, pediatrics, and rehabilitation medicine, renal and mental health services.
Elmhurst Hospital Center serves an area of approximately one million people. This community is recognized as the most ethnically diverse in the world. Last year, EHC received 693,600 ambulatory care visits as well as receiving 130,042 Emergency Room visits, making it one of the busiest ERs in New York City. More than 4,200 babies were delivered at Elmhurst last year alone–the most in this region. Ensuring accessible health care is the hospital’s priority.
Founded in 1978, the New York Organ Donor Network is the second largest of the nation’s 58 nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs). The Donor Network is responsible for the recovery of organs, eyes and tissues for transplantation and public and professional education efforts in the greater New York metropolitan area. It serves a highly diverse population in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester Counties in New York and Pike County, Pennsylvania. The Donor Network partners with 10 transplant centers, more than 100 hospitals, as well as several eye and tissue banks. The agency is fully accredited by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO). It is a member of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS).
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