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New lung allocation policy in effect
First organ type to use continuous distribution framework.
Another record year for heart transplants: Steep increases seen in DCD transplants in 2022
February is American Heart Month
Predictive analytics tool now available to all kidney programs
Innovative new technology helps transplant hospitals make the right match for their patients
New lung allocation policy in effect
First organ type to use continuous distribution framework.
Another record year for heart transplants: Steep increases seen in DCD transplants in 2022
February is American Heart Month
Predictive analytics tool now available to all kidney programs
Innovative new technology helps transplant hospitals make the right match for their patients
UNOS launches first national liver paired donation pilot program
The UNOS LPD pilot program aims to increase the number of living liver donations.
2022 organ transplants again set annual records
Total kidney transplants exceeded 25,000 for the first year ever; annual records also set for liver, heart and lung transplants.
Waiting time adjustment approved for kidney transplant candidates affected by race-based calculation
Previous use of race-based calculations disadvantaged some Black patients by overestimating their kidney function.
Update: CPRA calculation
The new formula for Calculated Panel Reactive Antibody (CPRA) will now go into effect on Jan. 26, 2023.
Nominees chosen for 2023 Board of Directors election
Voting members will receive election materials in January 2023.
7,000 organs tracked with UNOS Organ Tracking Service
30% of all OPOs use the UNOS Organ Tracking Service to monitor organs in transit.
A pivotal moment for the organ donation and transplant community
McBride addresses public concerns, calls for collaboration and shares vision for the future.
7 years of HOPE
Implemented in 2015 , the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act has given more than 350 living with HIV an opportunity to receive a lifesaving transplant from an HIV-positive donor.
UNOS seeks new CEO to be voice for diverse needs of organ donation and transplant community
UNOS looks forward to completing the process and announcing the new CEO in the spring of 2023.
U.S. reaches historic milestone of 1 million transplants
Living It Forward initiative honors donors and recipients, looks toward the next million lifesaving transplants.
Two-year monitoring report for liver, intestine policy shows success in key aspects
Report details outcomes since policy implementation in February 2020.
OPTN Board approves improvements to medical urgency scoring of liver transplant candidates
The actions will increase the equity of access to liver transplant, and were among a number of additional measures adopted by the board.
Kidney – Pancreas
UNOS statement on kidney continuous distribution policy in development
The OPTN Kidney Transplantation Committee intends for both prior and future living donors to receive the same level of priority for a deceased donor organ in the new framework as they receive in the current allocation system.
National webinar for kidney transplant professionals provides education on OPTN policy action on eGFR waiting time modifications
All programs must comply with the action by Jan. 3, 2024.
Implementation notice: KPD policy updates
The changes impact all KPD programs, including the OPTN Kidney Paired Donation Pilot Program (KPDPP).
Liver – Intestine
Community feedback needed on continuous distribution of liver and intestinal organs
The committee welcomes community input on liver prioritization exercises through March 15, 2023.
More than 15,000 liver transplants performed in first two years of acuity circles policy
Two-year monitoring shows many states had volume changes within 10 percent of previous policy.
National collaborative focusing on organ offer acceptance to launch at the end of January 2023
More than 80 transplant programs are participating in the project; a virtual option for the in-person kickoff event is available to the entire community.
Heart – Lung
Pediatric Status 1A and 1B heart and heart-lung candidates may have expanded access to intended incompatible blood type offers
On March 16, 2023, the OPTN Executive Committee approved immediate implementation of a key portion of. the recently proposed policy to expand eligibility criteria.
New lung allocation policy in effect
First organ type to use continuous distribution framework.
Implementation notice: Continuous distribution of lungs
Effective today (March 9), lungs are now allocated under the approved continuous distribution allocation policy.
VCA
VCA coming to UNet Spring 2023
Audience VCA programs All UNetSM users (for awareness) Implementation date Spring 2023 At-a-glance Allocation of all Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) organs will be moving into UNet starting in the Spring of 2023. Additional details There is no action needed...
Updates to living donor exclusion criteria now in effect
Four exclusion criteria in OPTN Policy 14.4.E have been updated to align with current research and guidelines as well as ensure consistency throughout OPTN policy language.
Improving the system together
OPO partners with Black history museum to increase organ donor registrations
Kia Potts tells us how LifeNet Health and a Richmond-area cultural institution worked together to change lingering misconceptions about organ donation.
What are the barriers to wider use of organ perfusion?
Q&A: David Klassen, M.D., on the promise, and challenges to wider use, of normothermic perfusion.
When minutes matter
A look at the intersecting challenges in organ transportation and a call for government and industry leaders to join the donation and transplant community in finding national-level solutions that ensure donor organs get safely to patients in need.
UNet
Patient Status Confirmation link available in UNet℠ beginning April 3, closes April 24
Transplant programs are asked to confirm or update patient status for selected patients.
Implementation notice: Continuous distribution of lungs
Effective today (March 9), lungs are now allocated under the approved continuous distribution allocation policy.
Implementation notice: Changes to thoracic donor acceptance criteria
Effective today (March 9), thoracic donor acceptance criteria for candidates no longer require separate data to be specified for both local and import donors.
“… policy is the living, breathing expression of group values.”
Martha Pavlakis, M.D. on new policies that put patients first
Policy changes
Pediatric Status 1A and 1B heart and heart-lung candidates may have expanded access to intended incompatible blood type offers
On March 16, 2023, the OPTN Executive Committee approved immediate implementation of a key portion of. the recently proposed policy to expand eligibility criteria.
New lung allocation policy in effect
First organ type to use continuous distribution framework.
Implementation notice: Continuous distribution of lungs
Effective today (March 9), lungs are now allocated under the approved continuous distribution allocation policy.
Policy monitoring
One-year monitoring report for the Pediatric National Heart Review Board now available
Report contains summary level information on the exception request decisions made by the Pediatric National Heart Review Board.
Three-month monitoring report for heart policy following a device recall now available
Report shows key measures of adult heart allocation based on policy changes implemented in July 2022.
Two-year monitoring report available for the elimination of the use of DSAs in heart allocation
A new data report contains key measures of adult heart allocation based on policy changes implemented in January 2020.
Learn: Collaborative improvement and educational resources
IN FOCUS
New animation for patients explains the lung Composite Allocation Score (CAS)
New patient-friendly video explains the factors that will determine lung allocation in the continuous distribution framework.
Collaboration
Public comment now open through March 15
The winter 2023 public comment cycle opened Jan. 19 and closes March 15.
National collaborative focusing on organ offer acceptance to launch at the end of January 2023
More than 80 transplant programs are participating in the project; a virtual option for the in-person kickoff event is available to the entire community.
UNOS using a collaborative improvement model to increase DCD lung transplantation
29 lung transplant programs are participating in the project.
Collaborative improvement project helped OPOs increase DCD transplant in 2021
Project participants experienced more DCD recoveries and transplants than the rest of the nation.
Education
White paper addresses ethical issues in information to support transplant program selection
Paper addresses likely patient questions and approaches for plain language communication.
TMF 2023 presenter Jesse Schold, Ph.D., on reducing health care disparities in the organ transplant system
TMF session to focus on improving access to transplantation through collaboration.
New animation for patients explains the lung Composite Allocation Score (CAS)
New patient-friendly video explains the factors that will determine lung allocation in the continuous distribution framework.
Lung Composite Allocation Score (CAS) calculator coming February 2023
The lung Composite Allocation Score (CAS) calculator will be available on the OPTN website beginning Feb. 2, 2023.
Learn about issues impacting patients, donors, donor families, and the national system. Issues and advocacy
Perspectives
From UNOS leaders
Matthew Cooper, M.D. emphasizes collaboration before nation’s transplant surgeons
The best outcome for patients in this country will be achieved by working together collaboratively to drive improvement rather than being divided.
Driving system-wide progress to better serve patients
A package of proposals to make improvements across the nation’s organ donation and transplant system, promote public trust and most importantly, help us save more lives.
Thank you for being part of a record-setting 2022
But before we take a look at the numbers, it’s important to remember the lives behind the data. No record or trend would be possible without the priceless gifts given by generous donors and their families.
From the community
Giving and the Gift of Life: Lindsey C. Jennings, Manager, Philanthropy
There is no greater expression of one’s love for humanity than choosing to become an organ donor.
The liver allocation policy is a success we need to share: Terry Box, M.D., liver recipient
Box’s op-ed highlights how effective policy development is resulting in sicker patients getting liver transplants faster.
Driving toward optimal equity: Vincent Casingal, M.D.
Transplant surgeon on the success of the new kidney allocation policy.
“For us and everyone else in the transplant community, the ultimate form of equity means providing a transplant for every single patient that needs one.”
Patient safety
Voluntary recall of Becton, Dickinson CD5 Series of Genesis sterilization containers
Read the complete recall notice for details.
One-year monitoring report for the Pediatric National Heart Review Board now available
Report contains summary level information on the exception request decisions made by the Pediatric National Heart Review Board.
Three-month monitoring report for heart policy following a device recall now available
Report shows key measures of adult heart allocation based on policy changes implemented in July 2022.
Transplant hospital
Patient Status Confirmation link available in UNet℠ beginning April 3, closes April 24
Transplant programs are asked to confirm or update patient status for selected patients.
New lung allocation policy in effect
First organ type to use continuous distribution framework.
White paper addresses ethical issues in information to support transplant program selection
Paper addresses likely patient questions and approaches for plain language communication.
OPO
New lung allocation policy in effect
First organ type to use continuous distribution framework.
OPO partners with Black history museum to increase organ donor registrations
Kia Potts tells us how LifeNet Health and a Richmond-area cultural institution worked together to change lingering misconceptions about organ donation.
Matthew Cooper, M.D. emphasizes collaboration before nation’s transplant surgeons
The best outcome for patients in this country will be achieved by working together collaboratively to drive improvement rather than being divided.
Histocompatibility
Implementation notice: CPRA calculation change
CPRA >98% signatures must be entered in Waitlist for the candidate to receive additional allocation priority.
Update: CPRA calculation
The new formula for Calculated Panel Reactive Antibody (CPRA) will now go into effect on Jan. 26, 2023.
FAQ for patients: CPRA calculation change
We’ve put together some frequently asked questions to help patients wondering about the upcoming change.
What happened in public comment? See what the community had to say. View comments
The U.S. surpassed 1 million transplants in 2022
The gifts of generous donors and their courageous families made several lifesaving transplant records possible.
Stories and tributes
Each person touched by organ donation transplant has a unique story. Threads of hope connect them. Find videos, stories and tributes