OneLegacy Posts 10% Increase in Organs Transplanted in 2005 for Six-Year-Streak of Record Number of Lives Saved

373 Organ Donors, National Record 1,223 Organs Transplanted in 2005

February 7, 2006

LOS ANGELES //PRNewswire -- OneLegacy, the non-profit, federally designated organ procurement organization for seven counties in Southern California, announced today its sixth record-breaking year and a national record in saving lives through organ donation and transplantation.

Working in concert with more than 200 hospital partners, OneLegacy recorded all-time highs of 373 organ donors and 1,223 recovered organs transplanted. The 1,223 organs transplanted in 2005 -- a national record for any single organ procurement organization (OPO) -- represents a 10% increase over the previous year and a jump of 34% since 2000.

OneLegacy's success has continued into 2006, with the organization recording a monthly high of 42 organ donors and 62 tissue donors. OneLegacy recovers donated tissue throughout its seven-county service area as an FDA-certified tissue bank. A single tissue donor can give corneas, bone and skin that can enhance the lives of up to 50 people.

"Thanks to our dedicated professional staff, support of our collaborative hospitals and, above all else, the generosity of the families we serve, OneLegacy continues to build on our track record of fulfilling our mission at record levels," said OneLegacy chief executive officer Tom Mone. "The growth in organ and tissue donation translates directly into lives saved and enhanced in our seven-county area. We attribute this growth to the combined impact of national, state and local initiatives. Media stories on donation also contribute significantly to rising awareness about the importance of donation and encourage families to reach these life-saving decisions."

A major contributor to OneLegacy's record numbers has been the Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative, a nationwide initiative launched in 2003 to save and enhance thousands of lives a year by spreading known best practices to the nation's largest hospitals and to achieve organ donation rates of 75% or higher in these hospitals.

Another key contributor has been rising consent rates, which have increased from 49% to 55.5%. Consent rates calculate the number of families who agree to donation at the time they are approached.

A related performance measure is the conversion rate, which gauges how many eligible referrals (based on medical suitability) result in actual donors; some consented cases result in organs not being recovered, mainly as a result of disqualifying medical conditions. The conversion rate has exceeded the consent rate's steady climb, going from 47% in 2000 to 57% -- or a 21% increase.

Operationally, a key focus continues to be the optimal medical management of donors. Last year, nearly 3.3 lives were saved by every donor. "When a family says yes to donation, we owe it to them to make sure their loved one saves as many lives as possible," said Renee Hawthorne, chief operating officer for OneLegacy. "From responding to referrals on a timely basis to ensuring the organ function of each organ is maintained and improved prior to transplant and by placing the organs with the appropriate recipient quickly, our donation coordinators and support teams are key to maximizing the generous gift of every donation."

As a result of the outstanding performance of OneLegacy and California's three other OPOs, the number of patients listed in California for extra-renal organs actually stabilized for the first time in 2005. The number of kidney transplant candidates continues to climb, however, and now number more than 14,000 in the state and 64,000 nationwide.

"While we are seeing real progress toward meeting the demand, the reality is that the availability of donated organs is not keeping pace with the waiting list," said Mone. "We will continue to seek out every possible opportunity to make an impact, from collaborating with hospitals to training staff, applying the latest technology and inspiring the community to donate life. We will continue to expand our reach to ensure that donor families and transplant recipients alike -- not to mention their families and communities -- benefit from the gift of organ donation and transplantation."

Since 1977, OneLegacy has served as the bridge between donors and patients awaiting life-saving transplants. OneLegacy serves 18 million residents in the seven-county greater Los Angeles area. OneLegacy is the primary source of information regarding organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Southern California. For more information, call OneLegacy at (800) 786-4077 or visit http://www.onelegacy.org.

(Editor's note: See attached for OneLegacy performance statistics)

OneLegacy Performance, 2000-2005

Organ Recovery and Transplantation, 2000-2005

	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	Change Since 2000
Organ Donors Kidneys	287	333	314	328	346	373	30.0%
Recovered Kidneys	522	595	577	617	635	671	28.5%
Kidneys Transplanted	459	503	505	564	554	578	26.0%
Extra-Renal Organs Recovered	459	538	570	555	575	693	51.0%
Extra-Renal Organs Transplanted	454	503	552	537	562	645	42.1%
Total Organs Recovered	981	1133	1147	1172	1210	1364	39.0%
Total Organs Transplanted	913	1006	1057	1101	1114	1223	34.0%

Source: OneLegacy data. CMS performance measures shown. Totals may vary from UNOS and AOPO data due to varying measure criteria, resulting in aggregate variance of 2 to 6 organs. OneLegacy service area: Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Recovered Organs Transplanted, 2000-2005

	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	Change Since 2000
Kidneys	459	503	505	564	554	578	26.0%
Hearts	110	111	138	122	123	135	22.7%
Livers	228	262	253	243	275	294	29.0%
Lungs	43	44	74	72	94	131	200.0%
Pancreas	73	85	79	81	70	82	12.3%
Intestine	1	1	6	6	0	3	200.0%

Source: OneLegacy data. May vary from UNOS and AOPO due to varying measure criteria, resulting in aggregate variance of 2 to 6 organs. OneLegacy service area: Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

SOURCE: OneLegacy

Web Site: http://www.onelegacy.org

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This article posted February 25, 2006.