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U.S. House of Representatives calls on FAA to improve air transport of donor organs
Vote calls for a work group to consider whether organs transported via commercial flight could once again travel safely in a plane’s cabin
OPTN Board approves measures to improve kidney offer acceptance process
Greater use of Offer Filters expected to increase efficiency of organ matches.
UNOS statement on the 2023 OPO Public Performance Report by CMS
UNOS supports working with CMS to increase accountability and improve the performance of our nation’s 56 OPOs.
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Kidney – Pancreas
UNet is online: VCA and data collection projects released
Allocation of 10 Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) organs has been added to UNet, along with extensive changes to existing data collection forms across organs.
New kidney biopsy fields added to DonorNet and TIEDI
New kidney biopsy fields have been added to DonorNet® and TIEDI®.
Research in focus: examining organ offers
Three recent studies from UNOS researchers examine offer acceptance practices and impact of Offer Filters tool.
Liver – Intestine
UNet is online: VCA and data collection projects released
Allocation of 10 Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) organs has been added to UNet, along with extensive changes to existing data collection forms across organs.
Research in focus: examining organ offers
Three recent studies from UNOS researchers examine offer acceptance practices and impact of Offer Filters tool.
Coming soon: changes to liver-kidney nautical mile threshold
The simultaneous liver-kidney (SLK) allocation required share will change from 250 nautical miles to 500 nautical miles for eligible adult candidates.
Heart – Lung
Lung CAS summary data updated
Information for lung transplant program physicians, surgeons, transplant coordinators, program directors and data coordinators on the distribution of scores for all active registrations waiting for lung transplants in the U.S.
Pre-implementation notice: Lung policy modification for blood type
Effective Sept. 27, 2023, the points assigned for blood type in lung allocation will be updated.
Impella 5.5 devices can now be reported in Waitlist and TIEDI
New device option added to menu
VCA
Member actions required: data collection and VCA implementation
Patient care will not be impacted during this time.
VCA into UNet: education available
At-a-glance Professional education is now available for members who will list and manage the records of VCA transplant candidates and donors when allocation moves into UNetSM on Sept. 14. To access professional education, log into UNOS Connect and search for: VCA 102:...
Pre-implementation notice: VCA coming to UNet Sept 14, 2023
Implementation date Sept. 14, 2023 At-a-glance Allocation of all Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) organs will move to UNet on Sept. 14. Please review the information in this notice to ensure that your program is prepared for the transition. Changes to UNet on...
Improving the system together
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: The issues at stake in organ transportation
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.
Nashville’s Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West’s focus on quality improvement
Heather Marshall of Ascension Saint Thomas West Hospital on the education and peer support initiative her program helped pilot.
UNet
Pre-implementation notice: Lung policy modification for blood type
Effective Sept. 27, 2023, the points assigned for blood type in lung allocation will be updated.
Impella 5.5 devices can now be reported in Waitlist and TIEDI
New device option added to menu
Patient Status Confirmation link available in UNet℠ beginning Oct. 2, closes Oct. 23
Transplant programs will be asked to confirm or update patient status for selected patients.
“… policy is the living, breathing expression of group values.”
Martha Pavlakis, M.D. on new policies that put patients first
Policy changes
New pre-transplant performance metric now in effect, offer acceptance rate ratio
Phase 2 of new system implements to more holistically evaluate transplant program performance.
UNet is online: VCA and data collection projects released
Allocation of 10 Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) organs has been added to UNet, along with extensive changes to existing data collection forms across organs.
Now in effect: Changes to security personnel requirements and reporting
These changes were approved by the OPTN Board of Directors at their June 26, 2023 meeting.
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 milestone reached in kidney donation and transplant
For the first time, more than 25,000 kidney transplants were performed in a single year
Collaboration
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.
Measuring success: data highlights from the first cohort of the DCD procurement collaborative
Participating OPOs surpassed their project goals, saw higher increases than the rest of the nation.
30 OPOs participating in national project to increase procurement of DCD donors
Number of DCD donor recoveries in 2021 exceeded previous year’s record by more than 29 percent.
Education
Community update: Policy development based on continuous distribution
Updates on the status of each of the continuous distribution initiatives from Board of Directors President Jerry McCauley, M.D.
Dissecting the grief cycle: TMF 2023 presenter Nona Dawson-Land on coping with trauma in the workplace
TMF session to focus on understanding loss and grieving cycles in the transplant space.
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.
Learn about issues impacting patients, donors, donor families, and the national system. Issues and advocacy
Perspectives
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.
Transportation, transparency and other critical issues
UNOS Interim CEO Maureen McBride recounts actions taken during her first 100 days to tackle some of transplant’s biggest challenges.
Leadership news
U.S. House of Representatives calls on FAA to improve air transport of donor organs
Vote calls for a work group to consider whether organs transported via commercial flight could once again travel safely in a plane’s cabin
OPTN Board approves measures to improve kidney offer acceptance process
Greater use of Offer Filters expected to increase efficiency of organ matches.
2024-2025 Call for Nominations for OPTN Board of Directors and Committees
Apply by Sept. 15 to be considered for 2024 vacancies.
“The dozens of topics presented at TMF shared one thing—our community’s dedication to doing everything we can to constantly improve the system and better serve the patients who rely on us.”
Patient safety
Six-month monitoring report for heart policy following a device recall now available
Policy allows exception status for heart candidates with a recalled assist device.
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.
Transplant hospital
Learning Congress planned for OPTN DCD Lung Transplant Collaborative
The Sept. Learning Congress, open to all adult lung programs, will mark the conclusion of eight-month collaborative focused on increasing DCD lung transplantation.
New pre-transplant performance metric now in effect, offer acceptance rate ratio
Phase 2 of new system implements to more holistically evaluate transplant program performance.
Patient Status Confirmation link available in UNet℠ beginning Oct. 2, closes Oct. 23
Transplant programs will be asked to confirm or update patient status for selected patients.
OPO
Member actions required: data collection and VCA implementation
Patient care will not be impacted during this time.
Coming soon: changes to liver-kidney nautical mile threshold
The simultaneous liver-kidney (SLK) allocation required share will change from 250 nautical miles to 500 nautical miles for eligible adult candidates.
UNOS researchers present studies at 2023 American Transplant Congress
Twenty-two UNOS staff members presented research from 42 studies at the 2023 American Transplant Congress, addressing topics including social determinants of health, offer-acceptance practices, and the impacts of allocation-policy changes.
Histocompatibility
Public Comment open from July 27 through Sept. 19, 2023
The OPTN is offering 14 items for review.
Changes to security personnel requirements and reporting
Changes to security personnel requirements and reporting to be implemented following policy changes approved by the OPTN Board of Directors.
Implementation notice: CPRA calculation change
CPRA >98% signatures must be entered in Waitlist for the candidate to receive additional allocation priority.
What happened in public comment? See what the community had to say. See 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