UPMC Receives Medal of Honor for Organ Donation
PITTSBURGH, Nov. 17, 2009 – UPMC was among 428 hospitals that recently received the Medal of Honor for Organ Donation from the United States Department of Health and Human Services for achieving and sustaining national donation goals, including a donation rate of 75 percent or more of eligible donors. UPMC, along with the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE), was recognized during the Fifth National Learning Congress for the Donation and Transplantation Community of Practice held in Grapevine, Texas.
“It is an honor to be part of an institution that consistently has been the recipient of the Medal of Honor,” said Eileen Roach, R.N., M.S.N., co-chairperson, UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Donor Guidance Committee, and clinical nurse specialist, UPMC Presbyterian. “This speaks volumes to the commitment of the nursing and medical staff who strive to raise awareness of organ donation to offer a second chance at life.”
UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC Mercy are two of 90 hospitals nationwide to win medals four out of four years. UPMC Shadyside is one of 199 hospitals to win the medal two out of four years.
Joseph Darby, M.D., professor of critical care medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and medical director of Critical Care Outreach and the UPMC Organ Donor Support Team, also served as co-chairperson of the UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Donor Guidance Committee.
“It is rewarding to collaborate with dedicated individuals like Eileen who work hard to ensure the best outcomes for patients, families and recipients,” Dr. Darby said. “Through her commitment and advocacy, she is helping to advance the culture of organ donation at UPMC.”
Each of the recognized hospitals had eight or more eligible organ donors and met or exceeded one or more of three goals: improving donation rates, increasing the number of organs donated per individual donor to 3.75 or higher and expanding clinical processes for recovering organs.
“CORE is very proud of UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Mercy and UPMC Shadyside for earning this high honor,” said Susan Stuart, president and chief executive officer of CORE. “Working collaboratively with these hospitals to save the lives of thousands of Pennsylvanians awaiting transplant is of greatest importance, and together we continually strive for excellence in donation.”
Nationally, more than 100,000 people are awaiting organ transplants and at least 18 will die each day without receiving one. For more information about organ donation, visit www.core.org.
UPMC is an $8 billion integrated global health enterprise headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is one of the leading nonprofit health systems in the United States. As western Pennsylvania’s largest employer, with 50,000 employees, UPMC is transforming the economy of the region into one based on medicine, research and technology. By integrating 20 hospitals, 400 doctors’ offices and outpatient sites, long-term care facilities and a major health insurance services division, and in collaboration with its academic partner, the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, UPMC has advanced the quality and efficiency of health care and developed internationally renowned programs in transplantation, cancer, neurosurgery, psychiatry, orthopaedics and sports medicine, among others. UPMC is commercializing its medical and technological expertise by nurturing new companies, developing strategic business relationships with some of the world’s leading multinational corporations, and expanding into international markets, including Italy, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Qatar and Japan. For more information about UPMC, visit our Web site at www.upmc.com.
CORE is a regional not-for-profit agency that is the primary call center and intermediary for the organ recovery and allocation process that serves 155 hospitals and more than 6 million people in West Virginia, western Pennsylvania and Chemung County, N.Y. CORE has helped to pioneer organ procurement, allocation and recovery for this region since it was founded in 1977 as the Pittsburgh Transplant Foundation. For more information about CORE, call 1-800-DONORS-7 or visit www.core.org.