UK Chandler Hospital Recognized for Organ Donation Outreach

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 9, 2013) — The University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital was among a select group of hospitals nationwide recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for reaching gold, silver, and bronze levels of outreach for organ donation and registration.

UK Chandler Hospital conducted awareness and registry campaigns to educate staff, patients, visitors, and community members about the critical need for organ, eye, and tissue donors and, by doing so, increased the number of potential donors on the state’s donor registry. The hospital earned points for each activity planned between September 2012 and May 2013 and won gold recognition through the Workplace Partnership for Life Hospital Campaign, a program launched in 2011 by HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

This campaign is a special effort of HRSA’s Workplace Partnership for Life to mobilize the nation’s hospitals to increase the number of people in the country who are registered organ, eye, and tissue donors.  The campaign unites donation advocates at hospitals with representatives from their organ procurement organizations (OPOs), Donate Life America (DLA) affiliates, and state and regional hospital associations. 

Working together, the teams leverage their communications resources and outreach efforts to most effectively spread word of the critical need for donors. UK Chandler Hospital worked with Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) on the campaign.

"As one of only three transplant centers in the state, we do everything we can to educate Kentuckians about how organ and tissue donation saves and improves lives in our community, around Kentucky and across the nation," said Dr. Andrew Bernard, UK's director of trauma and acute care surgery and the chair of the Donation and Transplantation Action Council. "We're honored to receive this award for that work, which wouldn't have been possible without the tireless efforts of our friends at KODA."

“It is my privilege to partner with UK Chandler Hospital in promoting organ and tissue donation,” said Donna Slone, KODA client services coordinator at UK. “From the top leadership, down, UK HealthCare has demonstrated a profound commitment to save and enhance lives through donation and transplantation while maintaining a profound respect for the families and individuals who provide these gifts of life.”

Of the 924 hospitals and transplant centers participating in the campaign, 322 were awarded recognition. See a full list of hospitals recognized here.

To date, the campaign has registered a total of 221,834 donors nationally.

MEDIA CONTACT: Allison Perry, (859) 323-2399 or allison.perry@uky.edu