Organ donations in Central Florida reach record high

April 6, 2005

Organ donations in Central Florida saved 371 lives last year, an 82 percent increase from the previous year and a record high for the community, announced Trans Life, a local organ donation program.

The nonprofit organization attributes the increases locally to concentrated efforts nationwide to boost consent rates for organ donation.

And next month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will award Medals of Honor to Florida Hospital Orlando and Orlando Regional Medical Center for success in reaching the national goal -- a 75 percent conversion rate, which is the number of actual donors divided by the number of potential donors.

"We are very grateful to organ and tissue donors and their families," says TransLife Director Jim Jankiewicz. "But we still have a long road ahead of us. For thousands of people with life-threatening illnesses, transplantation is the only hope."

Last year, 27,000 patients in the nation received an organ transplant and another 6,200 patients died before an organ became available.

According to a new study done on behalf of the Coalition on Donation, that's mainly due to lack of information. The study found that while nine out of 10 people support organ and tissue donation, only 34 percent know the proper steps to commit to donation.

In Florida, supporters can designate their wishes on their driver's license or state ID, or they can carry a Uniform Organ Donor Card.

TransLife, founded 32 years ago, serves the 10-county region of east Central Florida and is the nation's fourth-highest-performing organ donation program. It works with hospitals and donor families.

Copyright © 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.

This article posted April 30, 2005.