As part of an ongoing effort to identify emerging trends in the field of organ donation and transplantation, more than 50 experts from many areas of the transplant community have prepared the comprehensive 2008 Annual Report of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation (OPTN) and U.S. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR).

Selected feature articles from the September/October issue of the UNOS Update are now available in PDF format in the Resources section of the UNOS Web site.

The following information regarding H1N1 influenza preparedness has been updated. It includes more specific recommendations for donor evaluation and acceptance of donors with known or suspected H1N1 infection, as well as links to additional online resources.

Along with the life-saving and life-enhancing benefits of organ transplantation, there is always some risk that a disease present in the donor can be conveyed to recipients. The OPTN/UNOS Ad Hoc Disease Transmission Advisory Committee (DTAC) investigates reports of potential disease transmission from donor to recipient, both to better estimate the risk of transmission and to recommend measures either to reduce the future risk or to improve treatment of recipients with a donor-derived disease.

Selected feature articles from the July/August issue of the UNOS Update are now available in PDF format in the Resources section of the UNOS Web site.

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), administered by United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), is dedicated to providing assistance to transplant patients and facilitating lifesaving organ donation in the event of a natural disaster.

Selected feature articles from the May/June issue of the UNOS Update are now available in PDF format in the Resources section of the UNOS Web site.

Recent news regarding liver transplantation has raised public questions regarding how donated livers are allocated and potential variation in transplant waiting times. The national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), operated by United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) under federal contract, cannot discuss details of individual transplant candidates subject to federal laws and regulations regarding patient confidentiality. The OPTN can address general questions about policy and process.

In November 2008, UNOS sent a questionnaire to nearly 8000 procurement and transplant professionals.

Recent news events have sparked public questions regarding directed donation. The following information is intended to address common questions about the practice.

The Greater Richmond Technology Council honored UNOS on May 13 with the Packet360 and Cisco Systems Technology Innovation Healthcare Award for contributions to the technology economy in the Richmond area.

The OPTN shares in the worldwide concern over the public health risk posed by the newly discovered H1N1 influenza strain, commonly referred to as "swine flu." At this point, we are not aware that this flu strain has affected any U.S. transplant candidates or recipients.

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) has changed its address and improved its Web site. The new site can now be found at http://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov Although the www.optn.org address will include a redirect to the new site, we encourage you to check your links and bookmarks.

In one field -- organ transplantation -- the mid-1980s marked its transition from a rare treatment, often considered experimental, to a mainstream therapy able to help thousands of people with end-stage organ failure.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) today launched its expanded National Donor Memorial Web site (www.donormemorial.org). This tribute-driven site honors organ and tissue donors in this country, highlights the impact of their gift of life on the lives of so many others, and underscores the critical importance of increasing organ donation.

At its November meeting, the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors approved the following slate of nominees for Board appointments beginning in June 2009. Candidates were recommended by the OPTN/UNOS Nominating Committee. OPTN/UNOS member voting representatives will receive a ballot and biographical information for the nominees in January and the election will be completed in February or March (specific date yet to be determined).

As of Oct. 6, 2008, more than 100,000 people were registered awaiting an organ transplant from a deceased donor at U.S. transplant centers. This is the first time that threshold has been exceeded.

Transplant Living, UNOS' award-winning patient information Web site, is now available in Spanish at www.trasplantesyvida.org.

Under direction of the OPTN/UNOS OPO Committee, a new set of labels has been designed for packaging and transporting organs

The OPTN/UNOS Executive Committee recently approved a resource document [link to document location] to help living donor kidney transplant programs establish or revise medical protocols for evaluating potential living donors. The document is advisory and does not reflect OPTN policy requirements for member transplant centers.

The report, titled "Renewed Life," pays tribute to donors and donor family members, and celebrates the renewed life given to transplant recipients.

UNOS mourns the passing of Richard Lower, M.D. His pioneering research and practice helped establish heart transplantation as a successful therapy that has benefited tens of thousands of people worldwide.

"The Gift That Heals: Stories of hope, renewal and transformation through organ and tissue donation," by Reg Green and published jointly by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and the Nicholas Green Foundation in January 2008, is now the top selling book at AuthorHouse, the leading provider of self-publishing for authors around the globe. It is also now available in hardcover.

At their meeting in December 2006, the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors approved the replacement of PRA with CPRA in determining kidney and pancreas allocation (policies 3.5.11.3, and 3.8.1).

As part of an ongoing effort to identify emerging trends in the field of organ donation and transplantation, more than 50 experts from many areas of the transplant community have prepared the comprehensive 2007 Annual Report of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation (OPTN) and U.S. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR).

2007 regional donor, transplant and waiting list data presented at the regional meetings in March-April is now available.

Responding to feedback from patients and members, UNOS today launched the Google search engine on its UNOS, OPTN and Transplant Living Web sites. This feature makes it much easier to search for Web content, PDF files and other online file attachments. Patients and members alike will now be able to more easily locate specific transplant information.

A few years ago, UNOS approached writer and donor dad Reg Green with the idea of writing a book about organ and tissue donation. The recently published book is titled, "The Gift That Heals: Stories of hope, renewal and transformation through organ and tissue donation." What makes this book unique is that it consists of 42 personal stories covering almost every facet of the donation/transplantation process -- the experiences of donor families, living donors, transplant candidates and recipients, donation and transplant professionals.

Richmond, Va. -- Members of the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) have elected 25 members to its Board of Directors, including a new president, vice president/president elect, vice president for patient and donor affairs, and secretary.

The OPTN and UNOS are saddened by the passing of Flora Solarz, a long-term lung recipient and member of the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors.

Now it’s easier than ever to order those patient and professional transplant resources that you rely on. United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has launched three new online stores! You can even buy merchandise.

At its September meeting, the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors approved the following slate of nominees for Board appointments beginning in June 2008. Candidates were recommended by the OPTN/UNOS Nominating Committee. OPTN/UNOS member voting representatives will receive a ballot and biographical information for the nominees in October and the election will be completed in December.

United Network for Organ Sharing is proud to announce the renaming of our transplant library in honor of our colleague H. Myron Kauffman, Jr., M.D., FACS, who died in June.

Timothy L. Pruett, M.D., UNOS President, was invited to testify at a U.S. House of Representatives hearing entitled "Utilizing Public Policy and Technology to Strengthen Organ Donor Programs."

The OPTN, UNOS and Donate Life America mourn the passing of James S. Wolf, M.D. His life was integral with the field of organ transplantation -- as a transplant surgeon, a passionate advocate for organ donation and a transplant recipient. Dr. Wolf served in many capacities with the OPTN and UNOS, including a term as OPTN/UNOS Treasurer in 1987-1988, OPTN/UNOS President in 1990-1991, and UNOS' Director of Medical Affairs from 1994 to 2000. He also was a founder and first president of the Coalition on Donation (now Donate Life America).

The unique aspect of organ donation after cardiac death (DCD) is that a patient is removed from life support at the wishes of the family, and after death occurs the organs are procured. As such, this option for organ donation becomes an integral part of end of life care. The medical community and the public have examined and debated this concept over many years. Testimony of families who have consented to DCD, emphasize that the opportunity to save other lives by their altruistic act has been of comfort to them.

Just one mosquito bite can transmit West Nile virus or other serious, life-altering disease--and transplant recipients are at special risk of infection because of their immunosuppressive regimen.

The OPTN/UNOS is saddened by the sudden passing of H. Myron Kauffman, M.D., FACS, our Medical Director and Senior Scientist. Dr. Kauffman was a pioneer in both the practice and science of transplantation, with 45 years of involvement in the field.

DonorNet® 2007 has now been in place nationwide for nearly two months. Several important improvements are being designed and implemented now to enhance its use and provide ways that transplant centers can be more selective in the offers they will receive for their patients. Because DonorNet® 2007 makes it possible to make manifold offers more than ever before, the extraordinary increase in the volume of offers has resulted in unwanted offers for many centers. The changes being designed now will address that situation.

You may well be aware of, or even taken part in, the May 2006 conference to develop guidelines for the psychosocial evaluation of potential living unrelated kidney donors. UNOS, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons and the American Society of Transplantation jointly sponsored the meeting. A recent edition of the American Journal of Transplantation contains a report of that conference and the recommendations of its participants.

Joint Commission Resources will be hosting a half-day conference, "Strategies for Transplantation Safety and Quality," at four separate program locations. This conference is planned not only to allow participants to hear the latest efforts surrounding the government’s role in organ and tissue transplantation, but to provide a better understanding of The Joint Commission leadership and certification standards.

In order to improve member communication and more clearly relay changes to policy, UNOS has streamlined its policy communication process. After each OPTN/UNOS board meeting, members will receive a single document by email. This document will link readers to individual policy changes approved at that particular meeting. The new format is a table that allows busy transplant professionals to easily scan pertinent information.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has concluded that paired exchanges of living donor kidney transplants, and living donor transplants for increased priority in deceased donor allocation, do not count as “valuable consideration” under the terms of the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984, as amended (NOTA). This opinion was expressed in a memorandum to the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services dated March 28.

On March 30, 2007, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a final rule regarding transplant program certification under the Medicare Conditions of Participation. The regulation is effective June 28, 2007.

News reports have disclosed ongoing state and local investigations of two San Francisco-area surgeons and staff at a hospital in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The investigations concern an alleged attempt to hasten cardiac death of a potential organ donor. The reports state that the potential donor did not expire in the operating room, and that he was returned to the ICU where he died several hours later.

The unique aspect of organ donation after cardiac death (DCD) is that a patient is removed from life support at the wishes of the family, and after death occurs the organs are procured. As such, this option for organ donation becomes an integral part of end of life care. The medical community and the public have examined and debated this concept over many years. Testimony of families who have consented to DCD, emphasize that the opportunity to save other lives by their altruistic act has been of comfort to them.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) now provides toll-free reporting lines for both members and patients.

Dallas, February 9, 2007 -- The OPTN/UNOS Kidney Transplantation Committee is considering a number of ways to modify kidney allocation to best match available kidneys to tens of thousands of candidates in need.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) welcomes and strongly supports the Living Kidney Organ Donation Clarification Act, introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 710) and the U.S. Senate (S. 487). The companion bills intend to clarify that paired transplants of compatible living donors and recipients do not violate the National Organ Transplant Act’s (NOTA) prohibition of “valuable consideration” in return for organ donation.

As of February 7, 2007 transplant professionals now have 40% fewer required elements to complete on OPTN/UNOS data forms. This significant data reduction process will help streamline the OPTN data collection process, reduce the data collection burden on the transplant centers and ultimately allow staff to devote more time to patient care.

Registration information is available for the February 8, 2007 OPTN/UNOS Public Forum on Revision of Kidney Allocation Policy.

Historically, the OPTN’s primary focus has been the efficient and equitable allocation of the nation’s organ supply and the collection of data for analyzing organ donation, organ transplantation and transplant outcomes.

United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which oversees the nation's Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) under a federal government contract, has received second year funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a cooperative agreement to develop a new system to enhance transplant patient safety.

It's been 51 years since the first kidney transplant, so it may be surprising that we’ve only been sharing organs as a nation for the last 20 years.

Long considered an important patient resource for transplant candidates and recipients, UNOS’ Transplant Living Web site now has more information, new resources and an updated look.

More lives were saved by organ transplantation in the month of May than in any month ever before! According to data from the nation’s Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), operated by United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), there were 725 deceased organ donors in the United States in May, 2006.

The June 16, 2006, issue of the Federal Register contains a response by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to public comments regarding the enforceability of OPTN policies regarding living donor transplantation, including equitable allocation of living donor organs.

Learning Session 3 of the HRSA Breakthrough Collaborative takes place in Washington, DC on May 31-June 1, 2006.

Richmond, Va. -- Members of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) have elected 25 members to its Board of Directors including a new president, vice president/president elect, vice president of patient and donor affairs and secretary. The UNOS Board also serves as the Board of Directors for the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. These positions will be effective at the conclusion of the Board meeting on June 30, 2006.

HRSA has published a notice in the Federal Register to solicit comments on OPTN oversight of living donor guidelines. The notice soliciting comments on the living donor guidelines was published in the Federal Register today, January 23 (Volume 71, Number 14, Page 3519-3520). Written comments must be submitted to Dr. Burdick by mail or e-mail on or before February 22, 2006.

United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), as operator of the federally contracted Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), is aware of the voluntary inactivation of the liver transplant program at St. Vincent Medical Center. The center took this action, following an internal investigation prompted by a routine audit conducted by UNOS, which revealed possible violations of OPTN policies. St. Vincent Medical Center has worked cooperatively with UNOS since learning the results of the initial review.

The national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), administered by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), is contacting and offering any available assistance to transplant centers and organ procurement organizations in the areas most affected by Hurricane Katrina. The OPTN will take any possible measure to assure that transplant candidates and recipients receive medical services with the least possible disruption, and to facilitate lifesaving organ donation.

The new lung allocation system helps determine the order that lung offers are made to lung transplant candidates by assigning each candidate a lung allocation score (LAS). The LAS, which is based on each candidate's particular medical information, is an important factor in determining priority for receiving a lung transplant when a donor lung becomes available.

A recently concluded independent audit reported that the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) continues to qualify for ISO 9001:2000 certification. UNOS operates the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) under contract with the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services.

National Minority Awareness Day is observed every August 1 to increase awareness of organ donation among African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander and Native American populations. The event also recognizes minority donors and their families.

In its continuing effort to make information readily available to transplant candidates, recipients and their families, the Transplant Living Web site (www.transplantliving.org) has recently added a new section, "Pregnancy after Transplant."

Join fellow organ donation and transplant professionals at the First Annual Organ Donation National Learning Congress May 18-19, 2005 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Celebrate the Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative’s success and learn more about the new Organ Transplantation Breakthrough Collaborative.

2004 regional donor, transplant and waiting list data presented at the regional meetings in March-April is now available.

The OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors has recently been made aware that organ transplant programs are experiencing difficulty in obtaining follow-up data on their transplant recipients from physicians who are caring for these recipients post-transplant. These follow-up data are essential for evaluation of outcomes and the refinement of organ allocation policies. This memorandum is intended to assist your efforts to assure these treating physicians that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) permits the treating physicians to release follow-up data on transplant recipients to the transplant program.

In early 1995, the “Internet” was just becoming a household word, and the concept of a “World-Wide Web” site was even less familiar. Most people using the Internet back then accessed e-mails and, perhaps, retrieved text or data from gopher and FTP sites.

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing, through its Kidney Allocation Review Subcommittee (KARS), is conducting a comprehensive review of the national system for allocating kidneys from deceased donors. As part of this review, the Subcommittee will be holding a public hearing to address issues in kidney allocation from the perspective of kidney transplant candidates and recipients. This hearing is scheduled for Friday, March 11, 2005. We would very much welcome attendance at the session by those interested.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) develops Conditions of Participation (CoPs) and Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) that health care organizations must meet to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. These standards are used to improve quality and protect the health and safety of beneficiaries. CMS also ensures that the standards of accrediting organizations recognized by CMS meet or exceed Medicare standards.

The recent publicity generated by the live donor transplant arranged through a commercial website has called to question the appropriateness of public solicitation for live donor organs for transplantation. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which operates the National Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), has formed an ad hoc committee to further study the issues involved in public solicitation for donated organs. That committee will make recommendations to the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors. It is important to re-examine what types of living donor/candidate relationships are acceptable in our changing society. In asking that committee to consider issues relating to live donor transplantation, the OPTN/UNOS Executive Committee recommends the committee to take the following considerations with respect to Internet solicitations into account.

New Regional Administrator assignments will be effective Monday, January 17, 2005.

At its November board meeting, the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors approved the following slate of nominees for appointments beginning in 2005. Candidates were recommended by the OPTN/UNOS Nominating Committee. OPTN/UNOS member voting representatives will receive a ballot and biographical information for the nominees in February and the election will be completed in March.

The first successful kidney transplant was performed fifty years ago today at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (now Brigham and Women’s Hospital). Then, Dr. Joseph Murray led the surgical team that performed the transplant between identical twins Richard Herrick (recipient) and Ronald Herrick (living donor). Many news organizations this week are reflecting on the advancement of transplantation from its early history to the present.

To help children and families feel more at ease with the organ transplantation process, the Transplant Living Web, www.transplantliving.org, has been expanded to include pediatric-specific topics and resources in an understandable format. It is also designed to let parents know that they are not alone and that there are other children that need a transplant.

For the second time in four months, the Organ Center set an all-time monthly record for organ placement services in August. The Organ Center provided placement services for 665 organs, eclipsing the former record of 610 in May 2004. This level of activity translates into an average of 21 organs every day. Through the end of August, organ placement activity is 18 percent greater for this calendar year compared to last year.

The SunTrust Richmond Marathon and NTELOS 8K run will be held Saturday, November 13, 2004. For the second straight year the marathon, which will be held in Richmond, Virginia, will benefit the Coalition on Donation; LifeNet, the local organ procurement organization; and the United Network for Organ Sharing.

Donors and their families from varied ethnic backgrounds are honored nationwide on August 1, the observance of National Minority Donor Awareness Day. African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander and Native American organ donors are recognized on this date for their generosity.

As part of its 2001 Public Policy Initiative, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) recently published the attached white paper, "Health Care at the Crossroads: Strategies for Narrowing the Organ Donation Gap and Protecting Patients."

UNOS received three awards at the 57th annual Virginia Public Relations Awards ceremony June 9 for interactive communications and feature article writing.

The Organ Center provided placement services for 610 organs in May 2004, setting an all-time activity record over its nearly 22-year history. In addition, the week of May 2-8 was the busiest single week ever in terms of placement activity, with services provided for 165 organs.

Many people, including Governor Martz, have joined the National Speakers Bureau to educate the public about the urgent need for organ donation.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) was recognized in the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) 2004 International Gold Quill Awards. This year, the UNOS Web Team won an award of merit in the Electronic and Digital Communications category.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is proud to have reached its 20-year anniversary of incorporation as an integral part of the U.S. system of organ donation and transplantation. Since UNOS’ inception, nearly 350,000 organ transplants have been performed in the United States and more than 200,000 transplant recipients are alive today.

Today marks the first day of the second National Donate Life Month. Joyce Nelson has a celebration planned. She and her husband, Mark, are taking their daughters out to dinner tonight. That’s because today is also exactly one year since Wendy Nelson gave her mom a kidney just in time to save her from the pain of dialysis. And her other daughter Lori, who also was willing to donate but had a different blood type, took off from work to take care of her sister.

National Donate Life Month recognizes and applauds all those who help save and enhance the lives of others through donation.

A unique online web documentary about organ and tissue donation and transplantation in America launches today, covering dramatic stories of patients who wait for and receive life-saving organ transplants. This 12-day internet-based documentary will give site visitors a rare and emotional look inside the human drama surrounding organ and tissue transplantation.

The Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative, initiated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to increase donor consent rates, will soon complete a phase of sharing and testing cooperative approaches between OPOs and large-capacity donor hospitals.

Over the nearly fifty-year history of organ transplantation, efficient use of donated organs has become increasingly vital to meet the needs of people with organ failure. The Mar. 15 issue of the journal Transplantation includes an overview article, "The Organ Center of the United Network for Organ Sharing and Twenty Years of Organ Sharing in the United States," which describes the evolving process of organ placement nationwide.

UNOS' recently enhanced Transplant Living Web site (www.transplantliving.org) has won a bronze award from the World Wide Web Health Awards in the category of patient education and information for the autumn of 2003.

Whether you call it "first person consent" or "donor designation," it means the same thing -- recognition that an individual's decision to give LIFE is paramount and should be respected.

Dr. Wiesner called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. on November 20, 2003. A quorum was present, and 36 of the Board members were in attendance during the meeting.

On November 20, 2003, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) dedicated the National Donor Memorial, honoring America's organ and tissue donors and their families. The memorial also highlights the impact of their gift of life and underscores the critical importance of increasing organ donation.

At its November board meeting, the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors approved the following slate of nominees for appointments beginning in 2004. OPTN/UNOS member voting representatives will receive a ballot and biographical information for the nominees in February and the election will be completed in March.

The Organ Center at UNOS stayed open and fully operational, even when the federal government declared Virginia an "emergency disaster area."

During its first full month of operation, a web-based application designed to improve patient safety and increase the efficiency and accuracy of the organ placement process has enabled transplant professionals to electronically access more than 500 medical files about organ donors.

Over the week of Christmas, when many people were more concerned with shopping, travel, feasting, or over-excited children, UNOS was busy transferring key technology and lifesaving services to its brand-new headquarters building in downtown Richmond, Va. The switchover was virtually unnoticed by the outside world -- and that is just what UNOS planners hoped to accomplish.

Thirty-five years ago today, surgeon Christiaan Barnard performed the first human heart transplant on a human being at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

Recent enhancements to UNet(SM), UNOS' secure, Internet-based matching and data management system, allow UNOS member organizations greater access to their institution's data.

Richmond, Va. -- Twenty years ago this week national organ sharing got its start. The Kidney Center, now the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Organ Center, began operating the first national organ allocation system as a one-year pilot project to test the effectiveness of a centralized organ allocation and transplantation center.

A system recently implemented by UNOS to better prioritize patients urgently needing a liver transplant will soon be used by transplant centers in the southern region of Spain.

Some say the most rewarding work in transplantation can sometimes be found in the heart of UNOS - the Organ Center, Grand Central Station for transplantation.

UNetsm recently celebrated its two-year anniversary with a splash. UNet was developed by UNOS to be used by member transplant hospitals and organ procurement organizations (OPOs). The secure, Internet-based system, first launched on October 25, 1999, speeds the communication of vital, time-sensitive Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) data.

UNOS Online continues to gain recognition among Web and communications experts.

The following summary statements concerning the various religious groups' positions on organ and tissue donation and transplantation may be of help to you. Perhaps you can help your religious group adopt a more clearly defined position. A pro-active position does, indeed, help clarify a group's attitude on the subject. Your knowledge and action may help alleviate the suffering of the thousands of people who die annually for lack of available donor organs and tissues while a multitude of healthy organs are being buried every day. This dilemma is within itself an ethical issue.

On behalf of the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors, I wish to thank the entire transplant community and commend the efforts of U.S. transplant centers, organ procurement organizations and histocompatibility laboratories, as well as the UNOS Organ Center, for continuing to provide transplant services throughout the series of events that began Tuesday, Sept. 11.

A comprehensive set of transplant data will soon be unveiled when the Standard Transplant Analysis and Research (STAR) Files debut. The new, improved datasets will allow analysis of virtually all of the variables on transplant recipients collected on UNetsm forms. These new datasets have been developed as part of UNOS' responsibilities under its contract with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for the operation of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).

Since Wednesday, Sept. 12, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has allowed charter flights to transport organs for transplantation. As of Friday, Sept. 14, several airlines have announced that they will accept onto their commercial flights donated organs and other vital medical supplies.

On the anniversary of his death each year, Rosalie Saxon will remember her husband, Arnie, with a lasting gift that will benefit many. She will do this through a dedicated contribution to the National Transplantation Resources Center (NTRC) Tributes Program. This year Rosalie chose a book on transplantation from the patient perspective. Inside the main cover is a nameplate with a memorial message.

Richmond VA -- Candidates for kidney transplants in UNOS Region 1 may find a shorter wait for their operation. A new incentive program was started for people with family members in need of a kidney. UNOS approved the program in February after nine months of review.

Persistent and false urban myths and hoaxes circulating on the Internet are gaining new life, with pranksters posting new material about everything from stolen kidneys sold on the black market to human flesh from organ donors sold for human consumption.

The first successful living donor transplant was performed between 23-year-old identical twins in 1954. Doctor Joseph E. Murray at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, MA, transplanted a healthy kidney from Ronald Herrick into his twin brother, Richard, who had chronic kidney failure. Richard Herrick went on to live an active, normal life, dying eight years later from causes unrelated to the transplant.

Many aspects of administering successful transplant programs, including clinical, managerial and financial issues, were covered at the Ninth Annual UNOS Transplant Management Forum in Salt Lake City, Utah April 28 - May 1.

Leah Bennett, Ph.D., an Assistant Director in the UNOS Research Department, was among the authors of two studies presented at the 21st Annual Meeting of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), held April 25-28 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Delivering on a promise he made on his first day on the job, Secretary Thompson announced his 'Gift of Life Donation Initiative' on April 17, 2001. "Fifteen Americans die each day while waiting for an organ to become available...

One of the most significant advances in medical science and the sacrifices made so that others may live are recognized during National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week (NOTDAW). Medical professionals, government agencies, educators and donor recipients and donor families join during the third week in April to celebrate the gift of life and the successes of transplantation.

The combination of Internet-based technology and Microsoft products is speeding the communication of vital, time-sensitive data on the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).

National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week (NOTDAW) remembers and recognizes organ donors and their families for their generous gift of life passed on to organ recipients. Created to celebrate the gift of life and the successes of transplantation, NOTDAW is observed annually during the third week in April. Recipients and donor families, transplant administrators, doctors, surgeons, transplant coordinators, and many others participate in local and national events.

The UNOS Board approved candidates for the 2000-2001 Board of Directors. The slate of nominees was presented by the UNOS Nominating Committee at the Board of Directors Meeting Nov. 18-19 in Baltimore. Elections will take place at the Annual Meeting of Members in March 2000.

Stopping for water, nutrition and a well-deserved rest, 10 cyclists pedaling down the East Coast pulled into the 90 degree Richmond heat after a 75-mile trek down winding, hilly country roads. The Five Points of Life Ride 2000 left Bar Harbor, Maine Aug. 26 and they expect to complete their trip on Oct. 14 at the Mallory Docks in Key West, Fla. The group says they're energized to complete the course.

The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) recently changed its policy for granting Medicare approval to some transplant centers. Revisions were made in the policy for heart, liver and lung transplant centers, reducing the length of time it takes centers to qualify for coverage.

Alan Pritsker, Ph.D., creator of the UNOS Liver Allocation Model (ULAM), received the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)-College on Simulation Lifetime Professional Achievement Award.

A growing interest in transplantation and the realization that data are available are fueling record levels of requests for UNOS data. Because of this increased demand, the Research Department places extensive data on the UNOS Web site. Many seeking simple answers to data questions can find what they need at the click of a button.

The UNOS Web site was spotlighted in Oncology Times as the Medical Web Site of the Month. The independent newspaper for cancer specialists called the site "a powerful resource for patients and professionals alike."

The Coalition on Donation is using an innovative tool to encourage Americans to discuss their decision to be a donor by "talking to their family about donating Life."

Microsoft acknowledged UNOS' successful blend of Internet and Microsoft tools in a case study. The programming giant reviewed the UNOS operation and its accomplishment.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Web site celebrates its fifth anniversary this month. UNOS Online, one of the pioneering transplant sites, is a roundup of the latest and most accurate data and information on transplantation.

UNOS' Web-based communication and matching tools are instruments that might shape the way others are using the Internet and molding data with technology, observed Virginia's first Secretary of Technology Donald W. Upson during a visit to UNOS.

Medical examiners are taking action to reduce the nation's shortage of organs for transplants.

The Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) will be holding a Town Hall Meeting on December 1, 1999 at its central office in Woodlawn, Maryland to discuss the issue of Criteria for Medicare Approval of Organ Transplant Centers in a public forum.

UNOS has pioneered a new Internet-based technology to speed the communication of vital, time-sensitive Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) data.

The season premier of the TV drama Chicago Hope has professionals in the transplant community concerned that the public will get the wrong message about how organs are given to patients in need. The episode showed doctors flipping a coin to choose between a wealthy and a poor patient.

A critical shortage of organs for transplantation and a need to educate health care professionals on the topic sparked the creation of a series of audio conferences now seen on Medscape - one of the Internet's largest educational sites for the medical community and general public.

Everything about Manhattan is big, especially the efforts by the Manhattan chapter of Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO) to present more than 275,000 organ donor cards to New York State employees in 260 state agencies.

It's as unbelievable as Bigfoot, as common as alleged Elvis sightings and has the transplant community cringing. It often begins with "This is not a joke" or "Alert for business travelers". Unfortunately, this message passed by e-mail and word of mouth is anything but the truth.

The results of the first "stranger to stranger" living donor liver transplant are encouraging to doctors and potential recipients. The first such transplant was performed in April at Virginia Commonwealth University's Medical College of Virginia Hospitals.

Health care professionals make 20,000 life-saving transplants happen every year. Without their help, thousands of patients would die. Asking families to consider their loved ones as potential organ donors can be a difficult job.

Armed with an easy smile and a big red lawnmower, Lawnmower Boy cut his way through Richmond before visiting UNOS and then going south. Ryan Tripp, a 14-year-old from Parowan, Utah, visited Capitol Square July 19 to cut a patch of government grass.

The following individuals were elected to the UNOS Board of Directors. Their terms begin immediately after the next Board of Directors meeting, June 24-25, in Atlanta, Ga. Visit "About UNOS", Who We Are to find out more about UNOS, The Board of Directors, Committees and Members or go directly to Board Biographies.

The spotlight is on organ and tissue donation April 18 - 24 as the country celebrates National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week (NOTDAW). Events recognizing donors and promoting organ and tissue donation are taking place around the country. You can get involved by simply holding a family discussion about donation sometime during the week. Thousands of lives can be saved by organ donation--you can make a difference. Share your life, Share your decision(SM).

The April 1999 issue of Critical Care Nurse, coordinated by UNOS and dedicated to issues surrounding organ donation, has been published. The major focus of the issue is the debut to critical care nurses of a newly developed critical pathway for the organ donor.

Sunday April 18 thru Saturday April 24 is National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week (NOTDAW). Activities promoting organ and tissue donation and celebrating donors will be taking place around the country. Organ procurement agencies, transplant centers and transplant-related organizations across the nation will sponsor activities with a donation theme ranging from health fairs to sporting events. Donor memorial services and transplant recipient reunions will also take place, and celebrities will be standing by to witness donor card signings.

UNOS has added a bioethics section to this Web site. The section, located under Resources --> Bioethics, can serve as a resource for ethical questions surrounding organ donation and transplantation. White papers by the UNOS Ethics Committee are featured.

UNOS answered approximately 300 requests for information each month over the course of 1998. The requests came in through telephone, fax, mail and e-mail. Increasing numbers of inquiries are coming in through UNOS' Web site, which allows readers to submit questions to various staff members based on type of information required. In addition, the UNOS Research Department processed a record 2,339 data requests in 1998: up from 354 in 1990, 1,384 in 1994 and 2,306 in 1996.

NFL Hall of Famer Walter Payton announced Tuesday February 2 that he needs a liver transplant and expects to be added to the UNOS patient waiting list for liver transplants. Currently more than 12,000 people are on the national waiting list for a liver. Only about 4,000 are transplanted each year. If listed, Payton would receive no special treatment because of his celebrity status. Those interested in helping patients waiting for a transplant, like Payton, are urged to express their desire to become a donor to their family. Organs are distributed according to such factors as medical urgency, blood type and time spent on the waiting list.

Dr. Turcotte called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. on June 27, 2001. A quorum was present, and 33 of the Board members were in attendance during the meeting.

The UNOS Council for Organ Availability has undergone substantial restructuring. A major component of the restructuring was a reduction in Council size, from 27 members to 12. The reduction is expected to increase the Council's productivity. In addition, the Council's focus will lie solely on projects of national interest. Initiatives that can be successfully accomplished at the local level will not be considered.

UNOS members will have the opportunity to vote for 32 candidates for the Board of Directors. Elections will be held in March. The slate of nominees was announced at the UNOS Board of Directors Meeting November 19-20.

Coalition on Donation members were treated to a preview of the organization's new Phase IV public service announcements at the Coalition's annual meeting October 15, in Baltimore, Md.

Planes crashing, bank accounts vanishing, credit cards not working, computer systems going haywire -- total chaos. That's what some are predicting when January 1, 2000, comes around.

An article on the 1997 Center-Specific Graft and Patient Survival Rates Report written by a team of UNOS Scientific Advisory Committee members and staff scientists appears in the October 7 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Committee, it is an honor to testify today as the current President of UNOS, the United Network for Organ Sharing. I am Bill Payne, a liver transplant surgeon and Director of the Liver Transplant Program at the University of Minnesota.

A cacophony of snores rose up from the floor space around Patti McClure's feet. Not a good sign when you're working a crowd. Most would ignore it, focusing instead on a hasty retreat. Not Patti McClure, though. She delighted in the hoarse, raspy grunts and exaggerated whistles. In fact, she even asked for it.

UNOS is a world leader in the scientific study and release of information for a single mode of medical therapy. This report is unique in the scientific study of medicine in several ways.

1997 Report of Center Specific Graft and Patient Survival Rates Key Findings

The UNOS Scientific Advisory Committee developed the project plan for the 1997 Report of Center Specific Graft and Patient Survival Rates in consultation with the Health Resources and Services Administration in the Public Health Service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

1997 Report of Center Specific Graft and Patient Survival Rates Tables

1997 Report of Center Specific Graft and Patient Survival Rates Questions and Answers

This article contains data current to its publication in 1994, but it is still useful in stating the goals and objectives of the UNOS allocation system.