Jennifer Moe
Director of Communications/PR
Donor Alliance
303-329-4747
COLORADO GOVERNOR BILL RITTER SIGNS BILL THAT WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ORGAN TRANSPLANTS TAKING PLACE IN COLORADO
Denver—May 23, 2007—Colorado is the 12th state to sign the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA), House Bill 1266, into law. This legislation will bring Colorado law up to date for the first time in nearly 40 years and increase the number of organ transplants taking place in Colorado.
“Organ donation saves lives and the passage of HB 1266 ensures that the 1,750 Coloradans waiting for a transplant stand a greater chance of receiving that gift of life,” explained Sue Dunn, president and chief executive officer of the Donor Alliance, Colorado and Wyoming’s organ procurement organization (OPO) and AATB accredited tissue bank.
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), 28,934 people received organ transplants in 2006. However, the number of people waiting for a transplant is rising at a faster rate than those receiving the gift of life. At the close of 2006, Donor Alliance helped save 431 lives and enhance thousands more through organ and tissue donation.
Yet despite these statistics, Dunn explains, “One of the nation’s most pressing public health issues is the widening gap between supply and demand for organ and tissue transplants. Nationally, nearly 100,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant and each hour another person dies waiting for a transplant in the United States.”
The new law provides for cooperation between OPOs, coroners and district attorneys by requiring, for the first time, written agreements and protocols for donors under jurisdiction of the coroner. It also reinforces first person consent, where Colorado has been a national leader since 2001 and harmonizes state law with federal law, current technology and advance medical directives.
“The passage of the UAGA is a very significant step in moving toward alleviating the organ shortage in Colorado,” explained Dunn.
According to national data collected by UNOS, Colorado had a conversion rate* of 79.9 percent in 2006 – 3rd in the nation. The national conversion rate is 65 percent.
“Colorado’s high conversion rate can be attributed to the giving nature of donor families as well as an increased focus on community outreach, educational programs in our service area and specialized staff that spends time families throughout the donation process,” said Dunn. “Our ultimate goal is to be first in the nation.”
“Even with Colorado’s high conversion rates, 1,750 Coloradans are still waiting for a lifesaving transplant and that’s why the passage of HB 1266 is so vital to all Coloradans. Just one organ donor can save the lives of eight people and one tissue donor can save the lives of more than 100.”
For more information about organ and tissue donation, please visit DonorAlliance.org. To register to be an organ and tissue donor, please visit ColoradoDonorRegistry.org or call 303.329.4747 or toll-free at 1.888.256.4386.
*Conversion rate is calculated using the reported eligible and deceased donors recovered from non-DCD donors less than 71 years of age.
We are pleased to announce the creation of Colorado’s new specialty Donate Life license plate. CLICK HERE.
The latest issue of our quarterly newsletter is available for download as a PDF.
DOWNLOAD OUR CURRENT ISSUE NOW
For more information on becoming a Donor Alliance Volunteer, CLICK HERE.
