BJH, SLCH transplant programs receive national awards
Recognized for high organ donation conversion rates
Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital received National Medal of Honor awards in October from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The honors were for achieving organ donation conversion rates at or above 75 percent.
A conversion rate is defined as the number of people who are approached and who ultimately consent to donate. The goal of the National Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative was to push overall conversion rates in hospitals with the most potential donors to above 75 percent in each hospital.
Hospitals with eight or more potential donors during a 26 month award period ending in June 2006 were eligible for the award. All winning hospitals had to achieve and sustain a donation rate of 75 percent or more (from eligible donors) for at least one year.
The medals, given by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, were presented during a dinner and awards celebration at the second National Learning Congress on organ and tissue donation in New Orleans.
“These national Medals of Honor recognize the hard work and commitment on the part of hundreds of individuals who have dedicated themselves to enhancing the entire process of organ and tissue donation, from actual consent by donor families to post-donation support for both families and transplant recipients ” said Dean F. Kappel, president and chief executive officer of Mid-America Transplant Services (MTS), which serves as the regional organ procurement organization for parts of Missouri, southern Illinois and northern Arkansas. “I am especially proud of the collaborative efforts throughout our region to enhance the overall donation consent rate.”
A total of 371 hospitals nationwide received the Medal of Honor, including eight other hospitals within MTS’ region.
The SLCH transplant program
Active programs in transplant for heart, liver, kidney, lung, small intestine and bone marrow;
The world’s largest Pediatric Lung Transplant Program;
Patients from as far as Saudi Arabia, Australia and Israel;
Nearly 90 transplants performed in 2005.
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