Jennifer Moe
Director of Communications/PR
Donor Alliance
303-329-4747
NINE HOSPITALS IN COLORADO AND WYOMING RECOGNIZED BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR HIGH ORGAN DONATION RATES
Donor Alliance and Hospitals Receive Medal of Honor Award for Achieving National Goals
DENVER – October 1, 2009 – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) honored nine Colorado and Wyoming hospitals for excellence in organ donation at the 5th National Learning Congress for the Donation and Transplantation Community of Practice in Grapevine, Texas last night. HHS awarded Medals of Honor in four categories – Gold, Silver I, Silver II and Bronze – to hospitals with a minimum of eight potential organ donors over 12 consecutive months. Donor Alliance was recognized for having a Donation after Cardiac Death (DCD) program resulting in 10 percent of donations coming from DCD donors over the same time period.
The Gold Medal is awarded to hospitals that meet or exceed three national goals during a 12-month measurement period between July 1, 2007 to April 30, 2009; an organ donation rate of 75 percent or more; greater than 3.75 organs transplanted per donor; and at least 10 percent of all donors recovered by Donation after Cardiac Death (DCD). The other medals award the achievement of one or two of the three national goals.
The awards are a result of successful partnerships between Donor Alliance and local hospitals that began with the National Organ Donation and Transplantation Breakthrough Collaborative, an initiative launched by HHS in 2003 to save thousands of lives annually by spreading best practices to the nation's largest hospitals. Their aim is to increase the availability of transplantable organs for those on waiting lists throughout the country.
In Donor Alliance’s two-state service area, the organ donation rate for 2008 was 79 percent, with 115 organ donors recovered and 356 organs transplanted. The organ donation rate refers to the number of organ donors recovered as a percentage of all eligible potential donors.
“We are proud of the nine hospitals in our service area for achieving these high performance levels resulting in Medal of Honor awards,” said Sue Dunn, president and CEO of Donor Alliance. “It is through their leadership, commitment to donation and transplantation, empathy for donor families and cooperation with our staff that we were able to save 356 lives in 2008.”
Denver Health Medical Center
Donation Rate: 100%
Organ Donors: 8
Medal: Silver 1
Medical Center of the Rockies
Donation Rate: 100%
Organ Donors: 4
Medal: Silver 1
Memorial Hospital Central (CO Springs)
Donation Rate: 80%
Organ Donors: 8
Medal: Bronze
North Colorado Medical Center
Donation Rate: 100%
Organ Donors: 4
Medal: Silver 1
St. Anthony Central Hospital
Donation Rate: 82%
Organ Donors: 18
Medal: Bronze
St. Mary’s Medical Center (Grand Junction)
Donation Rate: 88%
Organ Donors: 8
Medal: Silver 1
Swedish Medical Center
Donation Rate: 80%
Organ Donors: 17
Medal: Bronze
The Medical Center of Aurora
Donation Rate: 100%
Organ Donors: 5
Medal: Silver 1
Wyoming Medical Center
Donation Rate: 86%
Organ Donors: 7
Medal: Gold
*Data reported for the January 1, 2008 – December 31, 2008 calendar year. Awards were given based on a 12-month measurement period between July 1, 2007 – April 30, 2009.
Award Descriptions:
Gold: Conversion Rate ≥ 75%, Organs Transplanted Per Donor (OTPD) ≥ 3.75, Percentage of Donors Recovered via Donation After Cardiac Death (DCD) ≥ 10% in a 12-month time period
Silver I: Conversion Rate ≥ 75%, AND OTPD ≥ 3.75 or Percent DCD ≥ 10 %
Silver II: OTPD ≥ 3.75 AND Percentage of Donors Recovered via Donation After Cardiac Death (DCD) ≥ 10%, BUT Collaborative Conversion Rate < 75%
Bronze: Collaborative Conversion Rate ≥ 75%, BUT OTPD < 3.75 AND Percent DCD < 10%
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.
