In response to the July 20 New York Times article, “A Push for More Organ Transplants Is Putting Donors at Risk," Dr. Maureen McBride, CEO of the United Network for Organ Sharing, provided the following statement:

"There is no greater priority for the United Network for Organ Sharing than a safe, effective and trustworthy organ donation and transplant system. The patient situations referenced in the New York Times’ article on July 20 are horrific. This falls far below the standard that the American organ donation and transplant system—the global gold standard—demands, and it cannot be tolerated. This sharply underscores the need for a more unified and accountable structure for overseeing the nation’s organ donation and transplant system.

“Currently, different aspects of the system are overseen by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This fragmented oversight has led to confusion and inconsistent accountability.

“UNOS, which has long served as a contractor to HRSA in support of the OPTN, welcomes efforts to consolidate oversight of the entire system, including the OPTN. We believe this shift will bring greater consistency and transparency to the regulation of all components of the donation and transplant process—benefiting patients, donor families and the entire community.