LAS VEGAS–Nevada Donor Network applauds and supports the newly announced Association of Organ Procurement Organizations’ (AOPO) groundbreaking effort to reach 50,000 organ transplants annually by 2026. The goal represents a 50% increase over current annual figures and it sets the donation and transplant community on the path to complement and exceed the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services’ (CMS) expectation of 41,000 annual transplants during the same time period. This would amount to an additional 22% more organs transplanted beyond the CMS final rule benchmark set forth earlier this year.
“Nevada Donor Network is an incredibly high-performing organ procurement organization (OPO), constantly looking for ways to maximize the gift of life and health,” said Joseph Ferreira, President and CEO of Nevada Donor Network. “We are dedicated to ending the wait for the more than 100,000 people who are currently in need of a life-saving organ transplant nationwide, 576 of which are Nevadans.”
OPOs are a vital component of a larger system and true success comes from OPOs, donor hospitals, transplant programs, and other stakeholders working together toward this common goal of increased organ transplants. Nevada Donor Network will partner with AOPO on four improvement initiatives to:
Expand collaboration across the AOPO membership and among all stakeholders
Reduce health inequities to improve accessibility of organ transplants in minority communities
Maximize organ utilization by transplant programs
Drive innovation to increase donation and maximize transplantation
“AOPO, and our members, are committed to improving the organ donation and transplantation process to optimize every opportunity to pursue, recover, and transplant organs,” says Steve Miller, AOPO CEO. “By undertaking these steps to improve the system, we are honoring donors and donor families who made the selfless gift to donate and ensuring those waiting for a life-saving transplant receive organs as soon as possible.”
Nevada Donor Network will regularly share updates and milestones about the 50,000 Organ Transplants by 2026 Campaign. For more details, including the full campaign overview, visit the AOPO website.
About Nevada Donor Network
Nevada Donor Network is a federally designated 501©(3) not-for-profit organ procurement organization (OPO) committed to maximizing the gift of life and health through organ and tissue donation. Established in 1987, Nevada Donor Network is one of only 57 OPOs in the U.S. serving more than three million people in the state of Nevada and 110,000 potential transplant recipients across the country. They work collaboratively with hospital staff and community partners to promote research and provide a strong support network to courageous donor families who’ve turned loss into hope. At Nevada Donor Network, they encourage Nevadans to help individuals in need of life-saving transplants through education, research and action. Nevada Donor Network is a member of Donate Life Nevada, an affiliate of Donate Life America, whose state-wide efforts encourage Nevadans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. For more information, please visit www.nvdonor.org
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