Jennifer Moe
Director of Communications/PR
Donor Alliance
303-329-4747

DONOR ALLIANCE HAS RECORD MONTH FOR ORGAN DONORS

The organization helped facilitate more transplants in June than in any other month

Denver—July 12, 2006—Donor Alliance, the non-profit organ procurement organization serving Colorado and most of Wyoming had a record month in June with 17 organ donors, more than in any month in the past. This increase is important, due to long waiting lists for organs in the Rocky Mountain region.

“In Colorado and Wyoming, an average of nine people die each month waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant,” explained Sue Dunn, CEO of Donor Alliance. “Having months where donation and transplant rates are high is very exciting to us as we continue to work hard to shorten the waiting list for organs.”

“Speaking with families at a very difficult time in their lives is the most important thing we do each day,” Amy Iveson, VP of OPO Operations for Donor Alliance said. “A family’s decision to say yes to donation is lifesaving, and our staff strives to be sensitive to every need a family has as they go through the donation process.”

Iveson also credited a high “authorization rate” for reaching the record. The authorization rate measures what percentage of the time a family says “yes” when approached for organ and tissue donation. “Record authorization rates in June means more families in our two state region said, ‘yes, we want to save lives!’” Iveson said.

Iveson thanks hospitals in Colorado and Wyoming for the key role they play in ensuring that organ and tissue donation occurs. “We have seen a growing number of hospitals become increasingly dedicated to organ and tissue donation. At the end of the day, their support of donation will save lives,” she noted.

Currently close to 1,700 people in Colorado and Wyoming are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. For more information about organ and tissue donation call Donor Alliance at 303-329-4747 or visit www.DonorAlliance.org.

To register your decision to be an organ and tissue donor, visit www.ColoradoDonorRegistry.org or www.WyomingDonorRegistry.org.

We are pleased to announce the creation of Colorado’s new specialty Donate Life license plate. CLICK HERE.

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