Advocating for actions to strengthen the U.S. organ donation and transplant system

Automating the potential deceased donor referral process would lift the burden of reporting off busy hospital staff, reduce the risk of human error, and ensure every potential donor is referred.

• A more efficient way to get organs to patients in need.
• Organ Donation Referral Improvement Act one pager
• Organ Donation Referral Improvement Act issue brief
• Stakeholder letter supporting the Organ Donation Referral Improvement Act
• Contact congress

Implementing a mandatory, real-time national tracking system for organs in transit would improve transparency and support effective investigation of organs that are lost, damaged, or delayed while in transit.

• We can track Amazon packages — why not lifesaving organs?

Thanks to UNOS-led stakeholder advocacy, the DOT and FAA’s Organ Transportation Working Group issued recommendations to ensure organs are transported in the passenger cabin.

• Organs shouldn’t be transported in airline cargo. Here’s why.
• Increasing efficiency in organ transportation
• Stakeholder letter thanking U.S. House and Senate transportation committees
• Organ Transportation Working Group stakeholder letter
• Organ Transportation FAA sign-on letter
• Saving Organs One Flight at a Time Act Stakeholder Sign-on Letter
• Stakeholder letter supporting organ transport provision in FAA Reauthorization

Thousands of kidneys are discarded annually due to limited hospital capacity to transplant hard-to-place organs. Medicare policy reforms could encourage more hospitals to build this capability and ultimately increase organ usage.

• UNOS comment on CMS proposed IOTA model updates
• 90,000 people are waiting for a kidney. Here’s one way to get them a kidney faster.
• UNOS CMMI comment