Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Chester County Hospital officials laud organ donors
WEST CHESTER » Each day, 20 people in the United States die while waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Chester County Hospital is proud to join the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) and Gift of Life Donor Program and organ procurement organizations throughout the country to inspire and encourage individuals to register to become an organ, tissue and cornea donor.
“The number of people in need of transplants far exceeds the number of organs, tissues and corneas that are donated, and at Gift of Life, we’re passionate about educating people on the need to be-
come an organ, tissue and cornea donor,” said Howard M. Nathan, President and CEO. “Registering to become a donor only takes about 30 seconds, but it’s one of the most meaningful ways individuals can inspire hope and change the life of someone waiting for a transplant.”
Chester County Hospital is participating in the Donate Life Campaign throughout the month of April. During this time, hospital employees will be encouraged to sign up to become organ donors and to share the importance of organ donation with their patients, family and friends. Members of the clinical teams at Chester County Hospital will participate in organ donation related in-service events, hold presentations during executive leadership and board meetings and continue their education on organ donation best practices. The hospital’s month of recognition began Tuesday with a “blue and green” celebration and organ donation flag raising ceremony.
At this ceremony, participants held a moment of silence to honor donors and their families before raising a Donate Life flag. Hospital President and CEO Michael J. Duncan spoke about the overwhelming need for organ donors in Pennsylvania. There are more than 8,000 individuals in the state currently awaiting a life-saving transplant. He ended the kick-off ceremony by encouraging attendees to talk with friends, families, patients and loved ones about registering to become organ donors. Each organ, tissue and cornea donor can help up to 75 people. To sign up, visit www.donors1.org/ penn.
Since 1974, Gift of Life has coordinated more than 42,000 life-saving organ transplants and an estimated 600,000 tissue transplants. Gift of Life serves as the link between donors and patients awaiting life-saving organ and life-enhancing tissue transplants. Gift of Life’s coordination of over 49 donorsper-million-population ranks among the highest in the world.