Category Archives: Transplant

Hard Truths about Organ Transplant

17 people die every day while waiting for an organ transplant that doesn’t come in time. Recently, a young transplant acquaintance passed away waiting for organs that never came.  He received his first heart transplant as a young child, and I became online friends with his mother through transplant related groups.  Around the same timeContinue reading “Hard Truths about Organ Transplant”

Organ Donors Wanted – Dead or Alive

The number of people in need of a life-saving organ transplant is constantly growing with nearly 106,000 people currently waiting for an organ transplant in the United States.  Every state has programs dedicated to growing the number of people who are registered organ donors.  Many states ask people if they want to register as anContinue reading “Organ Donors Wanted – Dead or Alive”

Misdiagnosis – the Hidden Killer

How much harm is caused by misdiagnoses in the Emergency Room and other clinical settings? A recent report from the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence estimates that 795,000 Americans per year die or are permanently disabled after being misdiagnosed (371,000 patients die and 424,000 are permanently disabled). Missed stroke diagnosis is theContinue reading “Misdiagnosis – the Hidden Killer”

Xenotransplantation – Solution to Organ Shortage?

A pig-to-human xenotransplant resulted in successful kidney function in a deceased human with chronic kidney disease, possibly offering a future solution to the organ shortage crisis.  The subject, a brain-dead 52-year-old man, was transplanted with crossmatch-compatible pig kidneys with ten genetic modifications at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine. Other hospitalsContinue reading “Xenotransplantation – Solution to Organ Shortage?”

First Steps in the Reorganization of the U.S. Transplant System

On July 21, 2023, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) held an Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Industry Day meeting.  This event was an invitation only meeting for potential vendors for the future administration of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network contract.  Objectives of the meeting included: Items covered at the meeting included:Continue reading “First Steps in the Reorganization of the U.S. Transplant System”

Get Involved in Transplant Decision Making

If you have been reading about the recent policy changes in the administration of the organ transplant system, and you want to make your voice heard, there are several opportunities available to you. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) will be holding public meeting in each of the eleven UNOS allocation areas. The listContinue reading “Get Involved in Transplant Decision Making”

Organ Transplant System Updates

Statement from HRSA Administrator on Passage of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act Thursday, July 27, 2023 Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Carole Johnson released this statement following Thursday’s passage of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act; the Senate passed the bill Thursday evening. “TheContinue reading “Organ Transplant System Updates”

Senate Action on Organ Transplant

Bill H.R. 2544 passed by unanimous vote in the Senate on 07/25/2023.  The legislation will go to President Biden’s desk for signature.  The president’s fiscal year 2024 budget featured legislative proposals to “modernize statutory tools” regarding the OPTN. In March, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced aContinue reading “Senate Action on Organ Transplant”