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How UNOS uses data to help transplant programs improve

May 19, 2025 | News, Research and Data

How UNOS uses data to help transplant programs improve

Collage of illustrative images of data from the UNOS Predictive Analytics tool alongside a doctor talking with woman, and a hand resting on a blanket while getting dialysis

Research & data

How UNOS uses data to help transplant programs improve

UNOS is a trusted partner for transplant hospitals who need help with the wealth of information available through the OPTN

Data is powerful

With analysis, data can reveal trends and lead to a greater understanding of what factors may cause a certain health condition or what could provide a potential treatment. At UNOS, our analytics and research team use organ donation and transplant data to determine key trends and identify ways the system could more efficiently help people get a lifesaving transplant.

We deliver these insights to donation and transplant professionals to help improve patient outcomes and enhance performance improvement initiatives.

To access this information, UNOS submits data requests to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), which has data on transplant recipients, candidates and organ donors.

How do data requests work?

Any individual or OPTN member can submit a data request by filling out the form on the OPTN website. Different datasets are available depending on the requester’s needs. Once the data request is filed, the contractor supporting the OPTN will reach out to ask any questions and coordinate delivery and payment, as well as proper approvals from the government, when applicable.

Even as an OPTN contractor, UNOS follows the same steps as everyone else to request data for our industry leading transplant research and data analytic tools. Click below to read more about how UNOS tools can help donation and transplant professionals analyze and understand OPTN data better to enhance their work.

Read more about UNOS tools

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UNOS updates its mission and vision to highlight its growing impact

May 14, 2025 | News

UNOS updates its mission and vision to highlight its growing impact

UNOS was founded in the 1980s to coordinate organ transplants before there was a national system in place. Today, more than 1 million transplants later, UNOS continues to manage most of the national donation and transplant system under contract with the federal government. In addition to its lifesaving work serving the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, UNOS provides a range of products and services that help enhance donation and transplant and improve public health.

The nonprofit has grown from being the first organ matching system into a multi-dimensional organization that supports domestic and international donation and transplant systems, conducts data-driven research and analysis, develops products and services, advocates for reforms to help patients, and partners to drive a greater public health impact.

UNOS is the expert in donation and transplant – but that’s not all we do. Today, UNOS is driving new initiatives, research and solutions to help more people across the globe. To reflect our growing impact, our new mission and vision are:

  • Mission: To save and transform lives through research, innovation and collaboration
  • Vision: A world where health has no boundaries

UNOS continues to be a mission-driven nonprofit focused on saving lives. As we’ve grown over the last 40 years, we’ve come to recognize that our strengths and expertise can be utilized in more ways to help more people, and that’s what we are doing. Because at the end of the day, we want everyone to be able to live life without limits.

Learn about some of the services UNOS provides as well as its work to strengthen the donation and transplant system.

Tales from the OR and how Congress can help

Apr 16, 2025 | Issues and Advocacy, News

Tales from the OR and how Congress can help

Collage of illustrative images of data from the UNOS Predictive Analytics tool alongside a doctor talking with woman, and a hand resting on a blanket while getting dialysis

Issues & Advocacy

Tales from the OR and how Congress can help

UNOS chief medical officer on how Congress can strengthen the donation and transplant system

UNOS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Andrew Klein wrote an opinion piece sharing his first-hand experiences as a liver transplant surgeon and his thoughts about how Congress could help address some of the challenges he encountered. Dr. Klein served as the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center and the Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Transplant Center.

Below is the beginning of Dr. Klein’s opinion article. The full article is published in Nephrology News and Issues. Learn more about his recommendations to strengthen the system.

Andrew Klein, M.D., MBA, Chief Medical Officer

“After 37 years as a liver transplant surgeon, and after performing more than 1,000 surgeries, I’ve come to appreciate the successes and challenges of the U.S. organ donation and transplant system.

I transplanted a liver in a young pregnant woman dying of acute liver failure who recovered and gave birth to a healthy child, and then to another child. Three years after performing my first transplant, I went scuba diving and was 100 feet below the ocean surface with that same person, who was my instructor. When we first met, his life was in my hands but suddenly mine was in his. The circle of life was never more apparent to me.

But I’ve also watched transplant centers reject organs because they came from someone who was not in optimal health – people who are obese, diabetic or had long-term cigarette and alcohol abuse – only to learn too late that their organs appeared healthy and transplantable. And I’ve waited hours for an organ to arrive before finding out it was mistakenly sent to the wrong hospital – putting my patient’s life on the line as precious time was spent getting it to the right place and then safely transplanting it just in time.”

Andrew Klein, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at United Network for Organ Sharing

Andrew Klein, M.D., MBA, Chief Medical Officer

“After 37 years as a liver transplant surgeon, and after performing more than 1,000 surgeries, I’ve come to appreciate the successes and challenges of the U.S. organ donation and transplant system.

I transplanted a liver in a young pregnant woman dying of acute liver failure who recovered and gave birth to a healthy child, and then to another child. Three years after performing my first transplant, I went scuba diving and was 100 feet below the ocean surface with that same person, who was my instructor. When we first met, his life was in my hands but suddenly mine was in his. The circle of life was never more apparent to me.

But I’ve also watched transplant centers reject organs because they came from someone who was not in optimal health – people who are obese, diabetic or had long-term cigarette and alcohol abuse – only to learn too late that their organs appeared healthy and transplantable. And I’ve waited hours for an organ to arrive before finding out it was mistakenly sent to the wrong hospital – putting my patient’s life on the line as precious time was spent getting it to the right place and then safely transplanting it just in time.”

Andrew Klein, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at United Network for Organ Sharing

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Waitlist deaths decrease under UNOS’ operation of nation’s organ system

Apr 14, 2025 | Issues and Advocacy, News

Waitlist deaths decrease under UNOS’ operation of nation’s organ system

Collage of illustrative images of data from the UNOS Predictive Analytics tool alongside a doctor talking with woman, and a hand resting on a blanket while getting dialysis

Issues & Advocacy

Waitlist deaths decrease under UNOS’ operation of nation’s organ system

Number drops from an average of 16 to 13 deaths per day

Last year, a record number of organ transplants were performed in the United States – more than 48,000, which represents an increase of 23 percent since 2020.

What has changed?

The U.S. has seen an increase in deceased organ donors every year for the past 15 years. As a result, fewer patients are dying each day while waiting for an organ – 13 each day in 2023, compared with 16 per day in 2021. There are still more than 100,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, and UNOS has proposed a number of reforms aimed at increasing the number of organs available for transplant and improving patient outcomes.

The nation’s organ donation and transplant system is moving in the right direction, but there is still more work to be done to ensure that no patient dies while awaiting a transplant.

Learn about UNOS’ proposed reforms and learn how you can help.

* The latest data available for waiting list deaths from the 2023 OPTN/SRTR annual data report.

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TMF 2025 speaker Ankit Mathur on AI in Transplant and OPO Operations

Mar 27, 2025 | Education, News

TMF 2025 speaker Ankit Mathur on AI in Transplant and OPO Operations

“By gaining a better understanding of data analytics, predictive data models and AI technologies in organ transplantation, we can foster more thoughtful and informed conversations about the possibilities they offer moving forward.”

Ankit Mathur, MBA, MSIS, Chief Technology Officer at UNOS

What are you presenting on at TMF?

My session will explore the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and organ donation and transplantation. As AI technology evolves, I believe it has the potential to significantly improve how we approach organ allocation. By harnessing its ability to analyze large amounts of data, AI and predictive data models can not only predict outcomes but also run complex algorithms more efficiently and effectively, ultimately improving the entire allocation process and saving more patient lives.

Why do you think this is an important topic for the community?

AI is becoming an integral part of our everyday lives and work. When properly used, these technologies can save lives. As these technologies continue to evolve, it’s crucial to understand them, especially when they are being implemented in life-saving systems. Trust is at the core of this process—it’s not just about having confidence in the technology itself, but also ensuring transparency in how AI systems are developed and how decisions are made.

What are you hoping attendees gain from your session?

I want to challenge attendees to think beyond the current possibilities and envision what’s next for organ allocation and transplantation. While AI is still in its early stages of adoption, it’s already proving to be a powerful tool, and understanding its capabilities is essential. By gaining a deeper understanding of these technologies, particularly in the field of organ transplantation, we can foster more thoughtful and informed conversations about its future potential. If we get it right, we can optimize organ placement, foresee organ failure risks and ultimately allocate more life-saving organs to patients.

This session is sponsored by Statline.

Attend this session and more at TMF 2025

Learn more from Mathur at the 2025 Transplant Management Forum in San Antonio, TX.  Registration is now open.

TMF 2025 speaker Laura Butler on Collaborative Leadership in Transplantation

Mar 25, 2025 | Education, News

TMF 2025 speaker Laura Butler on Collaborative Leadership in Transplantation

“Collaboration between clinical, business and regulatory roles is essential to building transplant programs that prioritize patient care and outcomes. Having lived on both sides of transplant care, I’m passionate about sharing the lessons I’ve learned.”

Laura Butler, MMHC, M.S.N., AVP Transplant Services, Montefiore Medical Center

What is the topic of your session at TMF?

My session will highlight the importance of collaboration between the clinical, business, and regulatory roles and how bringing these viewpoints together creates successful transplant programs that prioritize patient care and outcomes.

Why do you think this topic is important for leaders in the community?

Regardless of whether you are a veteran provider or a quality coordinator just starting out,  the day-to-day operations of a transplant program require collaboration. It’s essential to bring together diverse viewpoints and expertise to ensure the success of the program, and this is where collaborative leadership plays a pivotal role. It’s about recognizing that working together, rather than in silos, is key to better outcomes and sustainable programs.

What are you most excited about at TMF?

One of the aspects I love most about transplantation is the continuous opportunity for learning—it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the field; there’s always something new to discover.

I’m excited to present alongside two colleagues with extensive business, quality and operational knowledge of transplant and make a positive impact where I can. I’ve had many roles in transplant over the years, but I’ve also had the first-hand experience of being a living donor to a family member.  I’ve on lived both sides, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share what I’ve learned.

Attend this session and more at TMF 2025

Learn more from Butler at the 2025 Transplant Management Forum in San Antonio, TX.  Registration is now open.