NINE LIFEGIFT HOSPITAL PARTNERS RECEIVE NATIONAL AWARDS FOR PERFORMANCE IN ORGAN DONATION

Source: Cypress Times

HOUSTON, TX – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) awarded 310 hospitals with the National Medal of Honor for their work in saving and enhancing lives through organ and tissue donation and recovery. Nine of those hospitals work with LifeGift, the nonprofit organ procurement organization, which recovers organs and tissue for individuals needing transplants in Southeast, North and West Texas. The nine facilities are among 310 hospitals nationwide to receive this distinction for outstanding leadership and commitment to organ donors, donor families and nearly 110,000 patients waiting on a second chance at life.

The 310 winners represent hospitals with six or more potential organ donors during the 18-month award period ending in March 2010, who sustained a donation rate of 75 percent or higher from among eligible donors for the award period. The percentage reflects the rate at which potential donors at the time of death actually become lifesaving donors.

“Without the support and active engagement of our hospital partners in the process, we simply would not succeed in fulfilling our mission to our donors, donor families and those waiting for lifesaving transplants,” said Sam Holtzman, president and CEO of LifeGift. “We congratulate and thank all of these hospitals and their respective staffs for their outstanding performance and this unique recognition for the role they have played in saving so many lives.”

The following hospitals were recognized with silver awards:

· Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth

· Houston Northwest Medical Center in Houston

· Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth

The following hospitals were recognized with bronze awards:

· Conroe Regional Medical Center in Conroe

· Memorial Hermann Memorial City in Houston

· Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston

· Plaza Medical Center in Fort Worth

· St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston

· Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston

DHHS also awards organ procurement organizations (OPOs) for consistently achieving donation rates of 75 percent or higher during the award period. LifeGift was among 27 OPOs toreceive medals from the DHHS.

The awards are a result of successful partnerships between LifeGift and local hospitals that began with the National Organ Donation and Transplantation Breakthrough Collaborative, an initiative launched by DHHS in 2003 to save thousands of lives annually by spreading best practices to that nation’s largest hospitals. The goal is to increase the availability of transplantable organs for those on waiting lists throughout the country.All the award winners were recognized during the DHHS National Learning Congress, Nov. 3 and 4 in Grapevine.