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UNOS applauds U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee for increasing funding for the OPTN Modernization Initiative
UNOS statement applauds Senate Appropriations Committee for OPTN Modernization funding increase
UNOS welcomes new chief legal officer
Elizabeth “Emy” Trende joins as general counsel overseeing legal strategy
UNOS applauds passage of FAA reauthorization bill
Workgroup to review organs transported via commercial flights
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Kidney – Pancreas
Coming soon: Simultaneous heart-kidney and lung-kidney allocation changes
Once the policy goes into effect, OPOs must offer required shares that are displayed on the match run.
New kidney biopsy fields coming to DonorNet and TIEDI
These new fields aim to reduce inconsistencies in both the reporting of kidney biopsy results as well as the specific biopsy parameters reported.
New candidate inactivation code available for multi-organ transplant candidates
The new code (“Candidate requires multi-organ TX only, isolated offers not accepted”) will exclude the candidate from receiving offers of the specified individual organ type(s).
Liver – Intestine
New candidate inactivation code available for multi-organ transplant candidates
The new code (“Candidate requires multi-organ TX only, isolated offers not accepted”) will exclude the candidate from receiving offers of the specified individual organ type(s).
Updated liver allocation policy regarding HCC criteria in effect
Policy terminology updated for consistency with imaging standards
Improvements to MELD and PELD now in effect
Resources and education available for patients and clinicians
Heart – Lung
National webinar on Nov.15 for lung transplant professionals on upcoming data collection changes and other insights in lung allocation
A recording will be made available afterward.
Early lung monitoring report shows increase in transplants following implementation of lung continuous distribution
Report captures three-months of data post implementation of lung continuous distribution.
Now in effect: Simultaneous heart-kidney and lung-kidney allocation changes
New policies require candidates to meet medical eligibility criteria to be eligible for a required kidney share on the heart or lung match.
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.
Education now available: Updates to living donor exclusion criteria
Professional education on this policy change is now available in UNOS Connect. These policy changes take effect July 26.
Improving the system together
How Offer Filters will help more kidney patients, faster
Offer Filters analyzes two years of a program’s accepted organ offers to help get high KDPI kidneys to patients who need them.
The ethical implications of continuing living donor transplants during COVID-19
Paper offers rationale and recommendations for continuing living donor transplantation when resources are stretched
“Our cosmic goal”: Enhancing transplant metrics and increasing transplant
MPSC chair Ian Jamieson on transforming and improving transplant performance metrics.
UNet
Offer Filters now available for lung allocation
Offer Filters adds data-driven, multi-criteria filters to organ offers at a program level so lung transplant programs can filter offers they will not accept and organ procurement organizations (OPOs) can find an accepting candidate more quickly.
Coming soon: Contact management enhancements
The organ offer contact management utility within DonorNet® will be updated to have a clearer and more concise list of contact device options.
Coming soon: Offer Filters for lung allocation
The Offer Filters tool will become available for lung transplant programs in UNetSM on Jan. 31.
“… policy is the living, breathing expression of group values.”
Martha Pavlakis, M.D. on new policies that put patients first
Policy changes
Three new VCA programs to replace GU program
Three new programs will replace the Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) – genitourinary organ (GU) program
National webinar on Nov.15 for lung transplant professionals on upcoming data collection changes and other insights in lung allocation
A recording will be made available afterward.
Patient information letter updated, now available in additional languages
Updated patient information letter now available in multiple languages.
Policy monitoring
Two-year monitoring report for liver, intestine policy shows success in key aspects
Report details outcomes since policy implementation in February 2020.
Two-year monitoring report summarizes National Liver Review Board activity
Report covers activity since the implementation of the acuity circles liver allocation policy.
One-year monitoring report shows increases in kidney transplants for Black, Hispanic, Asian and pediatric patients following policy changes
One-year monitoring report shows increases in kidney transplants for Black, Hispanic, Asian and pediatric patients following policy changes.
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
UNOS launching OPTN demonstration project involving effective potential deceased donor referral practices
OPOs and donor hospitals will collaborate to identify and share learnings.
UNOS to launch OPTN collaborative improvement project to increase recovery of DCD organs
Participating OPOs will work to identify and share effective practices related to DCD procurement processes.
Increasing utilization of moderate-to-high KDPI kidneys
Participating kidney programs performed an increased number of 51-100 percent KDPI transplants while maintaining one-year graft survival rates.
Education
Webinar to address kidney-after-thoracic safety net, combined kidney-thoracic allocation
The webinar will be recorded and made available for later viewing.
TMF 2023 Heckenkemper Award winner: Marian O’Rourke, RN, CCTC honored
The donation and transplant community recognizes Marian O’Rourke for her decades of contributions to patients and professionals.
Effective practices
Learn about collaborative improvement projects
Learn about issues impacting patients, donors, donor families, and the national system. Issues and advocacy
Perspectives
Donor mother honors her son
My son’s story did not end with his death.
Five years of HOPE Act; observations from Sander Florman, M.D.
Transplant program director at the hospital performing the most HOPE Act transplants reflects on its significance at the five-year milestone.
UNOS associate data scientist Carlos Martinez uses machine learning to interpret kidney allocation rates
Carlos Martinez and Andrew Placona were among more than two dozen UNOS researchers to present at the 2020 American Transplant Congress.
Leadership news
New board members elected 2023
Terms begin in July.
Voting opens Jan. 18 for Board election/Annual meeting of members
New Board members begin their terms in July.
OPTN Board approved measures to support new lung allocation policy
Other board actions include approving waiting time modifications for Black kidney candidates disadvantaged by race-inclusive calculations, and updates to NLRB guidance.
“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
Monkeypox educational document available for transplant candidates
Resource addresses risks, treatment and prevention.
Monkeypox summary of evidence report available
The document addresses potential risks and strategies to prevent donor-derived transmission.
Now in effect: New identity verification process when calling UNOS Customer Service & Organ Center
Effective Sept. 1, any caller who requests access to private information or UNet services from UNOS will use a new identity verification process that utilizes Authy.
Transplant hospital
Patient information letter updated, now available in additional languages
Updated patient information letter now available in multiple languages.
Now in effect: Simultaneous heart-kidney and lung-kidney allocation changes
New policies require candidates to meet medical eligibility criteria to be eligible for a required kidney share on the heart or lung match.
Now in effect: Changes to liver-kidney nautical mile threshold
The required share threshold for simultaneous liver-kidney (SLK) allocation has expanded from 250 nautical miles to 500 nautical miles for eligible adult candidates (e.g., Status 1A or MELD of 29 or greater).
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
Action required: KPD eligibility impacted by new HLA options
KPD programs must add DPA1 test results before Sept. 8.
Changes to HLA and unacceptable antigen options coming Aug. 30
Updates to HLA typing and unacceptable antigen reporting options and equivalencies will go into effect Aug. 30.
Policy change impacting KPD eligibility coming Aug. 30
Changes to HLA and unacceptable antigen options will go into effect Aug. 30, as well as changes to the equivalences used for HLA matching and screening of unacceptable antigens between candidates and donors.
Stories and tributes
Each person touched by organ donation transplant has a unique story. Threads of hope connect them. Find videos, stories and tributes