UW Health: UW Organ and Tissue Donation honors 16 hospitals for maximizing the gift of life

CONTACT: Gian Galassi

(608) 263-5561

ggalassi@uwhealth.org
 

MADISON — Sixteen hospitals were honored by University of Wisconsin Organ and Tissue Donation (UW OTD) for their ongoing commitment to saving and improving lives through organ and tissue donation. 

The UW OTD Award of Hope recognizes the comprehensive work of hospitals that achieve or exceed the goals of two important measures: the true conversion rate (TCR), the percent of medically eligible donors who become actual donors; and organs transplanted per donor (OTPD), the average number of organs recovered from each donor. Hospitals earn a gold, silver or bronze award depending on an OTPD of 3.25 (bronze), a true conversion rate of at least 75 percent (silver), or both metrics (gold).

The Excellence in Tissue Donation award was given to Wisconsin Tissue Bank partner hospitals who achieved at least a 60 percent consent rate.  This metric measures the collaborative work between the hospital staff and tissue bank in coordinating communication around tissue consent conversations. 

The Family Care Award recognizes the comprehensive work of one hospital that exemplifies the highest standards of family support during an organ-donation case. To be eligible for the award, a hospital must demonstrate consistent innovative family support practices, and have at least one outstanding case example of those practices in action from the previous calendar year. 

“The clinical management of donors, coupled with a hospital’s compassionate support of donor families, is a critical component to saving lives through the gift of organ donation and transplantation,” said Michael Anderson, executive director of UW OTD. “We honor these hospitals and their incredible physicians and nursing teams for working so hard to help ensure that those who are waiting for a transplant will get a second chance at life.”

The 2017 Award of Hope winners honored during a ceremony May 17 in Madison include the following institutions:

2018 Award of Hope Ceremony

 

Hospital Name

Medal/s

American Family Children’s Hospital

Bronze + Excellence in Tissue Donation

Ascension Good Samaritan Hospital, Inc. (Merrill, WI)

Excellence in Tissue Donation

Ascension St. Clare’s Hospital, Inc. (Weston, WI)

Excellence in Tissue Donation

Aspirus Langlade Hospital (Antigo, WI)

Excellence in Tissue Donation

Aspirus Riverview Hospital & Clinics (Wisconsin Rapids, WI)

Excellence in Tissue Donation

Aurora BayCare Medical Center (Green Bay, WI)

Excellence in Tissue Donation

Bellin Health Hospital (Green Bay, WI)

Excellence in Tissue Donation

Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center (La Crosse, WI)

Silver + Excellence in Tissue Donation

HSHS St. Vincent Hospital (Green Bay, WI)

Gold

MCHS in Eau Claire – Luther Campus (Eau Claire, WI)

Silver + Excellence in Tissue Donation + Family Care Award

Mercy Health System (Janesville, WI)

Bronze + Excellence in Tissue Donation

SwedishAmerican Medical Center – Belvidere (Belvidere, IL)

Excellence in Tissue Donation

SwedishAmerican Hospital (Rockford, IL)

Excellence in Tissue Donation

ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah (Neenah, WI)

Bronze

UnityPoint Health-Meriter (Madison, WI)

Excellence in Tissue Donation

UW Health at University Hospital (Madison, WI)

Silver + Excellence in Tissue Donation

The award winners include only those hospitals within the donation service area for UW OTD, which includes 108 hospitals in Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois.