in focus
From 1998 to 2018, LifeLink of Georgia's annual donor recoveries increased from 41 to 118.
From 1998 to 2018, LifeLink’s annual donor recoveries increased from 41 to 118.
Since developing its Multicultural Donation Education Program (MDEP) in 1994, LifeLink of Georgia has nearly tripled African-American donors.
While African Americans are 13.4 percent of the U.S. population*, they remain disproportionately represented on the current wait list (28.6 percent according to the most recent OPTN data).
African Americans are at increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, all of which can lead to organ failure. They are also more likely to be highly sensitized, which can mean a compatible organ may take longer to receive.
Because compatible blood types and tissue markers are more likely to be found among members of the same ethnicity, increasing organ donation in minority groups is crucial to increasing transplants.
Through its focused quality improvement and education initiatives, LifeLink of Georgia has increased donor registration in the African-American communities across Georgia. This has led to a sustained increase in donor recoveries, and means more lifesaving organs can get to the patients who need them.
*According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.
Read about Bobby Howard, Director of Multicultural Donation Education at LifeLink, building trust in the community.
In focus
A year in review: CARE tool visualizes organ acceptance and refusal
Center Acceptance and Refusal Evaluation (CARE) Report allows transplant centers to see all of the offers they accept as well as all those they refuse.
New study reveals variations in risk among living kidney donors
Research shows family patterns affecting risk can predict whether a living donor will develop end-stage renal disease decades after donating a kidney to a related recipient.
OPOs set records for organ donation in 2018
71 percent of organ procurement organizations increased organ donations in 2018, thanks to the generosity of donors and donor families.
Lung and liver perfusion on the rise
Lung perfusion has more than tripled since 2015, growing from 1.7 percent to 6.3 percent and potentially expanding the pool of organs available for transplant.
