| 1978: |
New York Regional Transplant Program, Inc. (NYRT)-later to be named the New York Organ Donor Network-is incorporated on May 15, and commences operation on June 1, as the organ procurement organization serving the greater New York metropolitan area. (Since 1973, a combined New York-New Jersey transplant program operated under the leadership of the Community Blood Council.) When the New York/New Jersey Regional Transplant Program breaks away, it is housed at the New York Academy of Medicine located at 103rd Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
Dr. Khalid Butt was the first president to serve on the board of the New York Regional Transplant Program (NYRTP). Dr. Mark Hardy was the agency's first vice-president. Central coordinative functions were handled by Geraldine (Gary) Rasmussen, and then with the assistance of Larry Shapiro.
Medicare accepts kidney transplantation for coverage. |
| 1980: |
Uniform Determination of Death Act is adopted by 43 states as a legal definition of brain death. |
| 1981: |
Brain death criteria are expanded. |
| 1983: |
Cyclosporine, used to suppress the immune system to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs, is approved for commercial use.
First successful single-lung transplant, Toronto General Hospital |
| 1984: |
Congress passed the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA), which defined how organs in the US could be legally distributed (a national waiting list). It prohibited the sale of human organs. NOTA also created the Organ Procurement and Transplant network (OPTN) to provide a safe and effective national system for donation, procurement, distribution and transplant of human organs. |
| 1985: |
New York and Oregon pass Required Request Laws. Mandates all potential organ and tissue donors be approached for donation. (Becomes law in 1986 - see below). |
| 1986: |
On November 1, organ and tissue procurement for more than 70 hospitals in the greater New York metropolitan area is centralized under the leadership of the New York Regional Transplant Program (NYRTP).
The Required Request Law becomes the law in New York, mandating that families of all potential organ and tissue donors are approached for consent. Soon thereafter, all remaining 48 states follow suit.
A public-private partnership called the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) was given the federal contract to establish and operate the Organ Procurement and Transplant network (OPTN), which it continues to manage. The OPTN operates The Organ Center, which operates a computer network linking all OPOs and transplant centers. |
| 1988: |
Faye Davis, RN, is the first executive director hired at the New York Regional Transplant Program (NYRTP); the agency's first press kit packet is created. |
| 1990: |
Outreach efforts at the New York Regional Transplant Program (NYRTP) include a Clergy Education Workshop, Donor Family Gathering, Black Organ Donation Program, and an AfterCare Program. |
| 1991: |
New York City subway advertising campaign is launched. |
| 1993: |
Cinema advertising campaign is unveiled in New York City area movie houses. |
| 1996: |
New York Regional Transplant Program (NYRTP) expands its service area to include Long Island. |
| 1997: |
On May 6, New York Regional Transplant Program (NYRTP) legally changes its name to New York Organ Donor Network, Inc. |
| 1998: |
New York enacts a Routine Referral Law, mandating that hospital staff notify an organ procurement organization of every death.
The New York Organ Donor Network receives accreditation from the Association for Organ Procurement Organizations.
Dar Vida Hispanic outreach program begins.
The Donor Network adds Pike County, PA to its service area. |
| 1999: |
In November, Elaine Berg becomes executive director of the New York Organ Donor Network. She comes to the Donor Network from New York Presbyterian Hospital, where she was vice president for community health systems. |
| 2000: |
The New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry is launched on June 1.
The New York Organ Donor Network adopts U-NET, an Internet-based system for organ allocation and sharing.
In December, Dr. Lewis Teperman, director of transplantation at New York University Medical Center, is elected president of the New York Organ Donor Network. |
| 2001: |
On March 21, Dr. Lewis Teperman, the New York Organ Donor Network's president, is named chairperson of the agency's board of directors. This follows ratification by board members of key changes to the agency's by-laws, including the transition of the board from a membership organization to that of a corporate not-for-profit, 501C(3) board effective June 30. As part of reshaping the board, Elaine Berg, executive director, is named president and chief executive officer. |
| 2002: |
The New York Organ Donor Network successfully recovers its first two organ donors after cardiac death. |
| 2003: |
The New York Organ Donor Network and all other organ procurement organizations in the United States become part of the Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative, which was rolled out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson. The goal: to attain organ donation rates of 75 percent or more at hospitals.
On November 13, the New York Organ Donor Network celebrates its 25th Anniversary at its Donate Life dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan. |
| 2004: |
The New York Organ Donor Network, together with all other organ procurement organizations in the United States, becomes associated under a single brand identifier, "A Donate Life Organization."
Rocco Andriola, Esq. is the first non-surgeon to serve as chairperson of the New York Organ Donor Network's board of directors.
On November 19, the Donor Network relocates from its office at 475 Riverside Drive to its new Midtown Manhattan headquarters at 132 West 31st Street. |
| 2005: |
The New York Organ Donor Network assumes responsibility for the oversight and day-to-day operations of organ preservation services. Up until the last week of April, organ preservation was contracted out to two transplant centers - New York Presbyterian/New York Cornell Medical Center and University Hospital of Brooklyn-SUNY Health Center at Brooklyn (SUNY Downstate).
The Donor Network joins the U.S. Health and Human Services Organ Transplantation Breakthrough Collaborative. The goal: to increase the average number of organs transplanted per donor to 3.75 or more.
A baseline survey reveals that Chinese-Americans in New York City display favorable attitudes toward donation but that the community needs to be encouraged to turn attitudes into intentions to donate. The research is part of a three-year Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant to a consortium that includes the New York Organ Donor Network. |
| 2006: |
On January 1, Dr. Dale Distant, the director of transplantation at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn becomes chairperson of the New York Organ Donor Network.
On August 18, New York Governor George Pataki signs into law a series of seven bills to encourage increase organ, eye and tissue donation. One of the bills will convert the New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry from one of intent to consent, firming up an individual's legal right to be a donor and have his or her wishes honored. Another bill requires a study into the potential of a presumed consent law in New York State. The bills added the identification of the words "Organ Donor" on the front of driver's licenses when New Yorkers enroll in the Donor Registry through the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The New York Organ Donor Network launches a series of hospital-centered campaigns to promote donation and enrollment in the Donor Registry. The theme of the campaign is: "I donate life because I celebrate it."
In October 2006, the Donor Network joins the U.S. Health and Human Services Organ Donation and Transplantation Breakthrough Collaborative. The goal: to spread best practices and gains to a larger number of hospitals and transplant programs.
Also in October, the Donor Network joins the Donor Designation Collaborative led by Donate Life America. The goal: to increase to 100 million the number of designated donors. Achieving this goal means that 100 million Americans will have taken the appropriate steps in their home state to ensure that their personal decision to become a donor is recognized and honored. This would nearly double the current number of estimated designated donors.
For the first time, the number of deceased organ donors in one year in the greater New York metropolitan area exceeds 300. There were 319 donors, an increase of 22 percent when compared to 2004, the previous benchmark year. In another record, 743 people received organ transplants.
Another record was set: Eyes and tissues were recovered from 689 donors for which the New York Organ Donor Network obtained consent. |
| 2007: |
For the first time, New Yorkers who enroll in the New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry through the Department of Motor Vehicles will have the words "Organ Donor" printed on the front of their driver's licenses. This was as a result of one of seven organ donation-related bills passed in the New York State Legislature in August 2006.
New York Organ Donor Network begins to recover skin. From the inception of the skin recovery program in June to mid-December, the Donor Network recovers skin from 61 donors.
The Donor Network recovers skin for the Musculoskeletal Transplantation Foundation and Community Tissue Services. |
| 2008: |
New York Organ Donor Network celebrates its 30th Anniversary. A Gala Dinner will take place at Cipriani, 55 Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan on November 20.
Peter Hutchings is the new chairperson of the New York Organ Donor Network's board of directors. |
