News & Events
Press Releases
Donate Life America's Campaign to Register 20 Million New Organ Donors in 2012
RICHMOND, Va. – Jessica Melore’s 30th birthday was on january 4, a milestone birthday she did not always think she was going to have. At only 16 years old Jessica received a sudden and lifesaving heart transplant. Now, Jessica’s story of hope helps to launch Donate Life America’s bold new initiative, “20 Million in 2012.”
Donate Life America, the national organization promoting organ, eye and tissue donation in the United States, is launching this bold new initiative, “20 Million in 2012.” The initiative focuses on radically increasing the number of people registered on state donor registries.
This official launch of the campaign comes on the heels of its announcement during the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA, where every year since 2004 it has sponsored the Donate Life float. This year’s float again featured inspirational stories of organ donors and their families, a tradition that the “20 million in 2012” campaign will continue throughout 2012 as it features powerful stories of those affected by organ, eye and tissue donation.
“I am so proud to be part of Donate Life America’s “20 Million in 2012” campaign, as part of the I am HOPE storytelling project,” says Melore. “New Jersey is the first state to promote the 2012 stories of hope. Real life stories like mine can inspire people to sign up to be organ, eye and tissue donors. These commitments to donation provide hope to the more than 112,000 men, women and children on the organ transplant waiting list, along with the hundreds of thousands more in need of cornea and tissue transplants.”
Additionally, the “20 Million in 2012” campaign will feature four national Donate Life events during 2012: the Donate Life Flash Mob on March 24th, Donate Life Blue and Green Virtual Fashion Show on April 20th, Donate Life Champions in Fall 2012 and Donate Life Linking Hands for Life all year long.
“In 2012 we are making a bold statement about our commitment to save more lives,” says David Fleming, President and CEO of Donate Life America. “With the majority of individuals in the United States wishing to be organ, eye and tissue donors, the biggest challenge to meeting our goal of 20 million will be getting people to take action and register today as an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeAmerica.org.”
For more information about the “20 Million in 2012” campaign or to register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor and join in this lifesaving work, visit www.DonateLifeAmerica.org.
Sign up now to be an organ donor in New York State!
KATELYN'S HEADING TO CALIFORNIA! Donor Network Video Contest Winner Is Announced
New York, NY, November 5, 2011: The votes are in for the New York Organ Donor Network’s “Think You’re Hollywood?” online video contest. And the winner is Katelyn Wheeler and her video "Save a Life."
Katelyn beat out tough, creative competition, and the Donor Network acknowledged everyone for participating in this effort to promote organ donation. The winner was chosen by the public from five finalists.
To celebrate the New Year, Katelyn and a friend will be heading out for a fun filled trip to California. The 6-day, 5-night trip will include airfare, lodging, guest passes to the Rose Parade and 2 tickets to the Rose Bowl.
One of the features of the parade is the Donate Life float that sends a message to millions that organ donation saves lives.
Click here to view Katelyn's winning entry.
For more information, contact Martin Woolf: mwoolf@nyodn.org; or call 646-291-4460.
Public Voting Starts Today for Online Video Contest
The Public Is Invited to Vote for the Best Video That Promotes Organ Donation in New York
New York, NY – November 23, 2011: The New York Organ Donor Network announced today that voting has been opened to the public in its “Think You’re Hollywood?” online video contest.
The Donor Network said in a statement that the contest attracted a variety of creative entries.
"The five finalists have been chosen and, starting today, it’s time to vote for your favorite. We encourage the public to take a moment to vote for the video finalist they think is most impactful, the one that most powerfully promotes why New Yorkers should sign up to be organ donors."
Voting is open until December 2nd and the public is encouraged to invite their friends to vote.
The Donor Network added: "Visitors to our Facebook page can check back frequently as they're allowed to vote for up to three entries every day."
The contest was launched as a fun way to engage New Yorkers in the topic of organ donation and encourage viral spreading online of the message through audience-produced videos.
The winner will receive a 6-day, 5-night trip to California including airfare, lodging, guest passes to the Rose Parade and 2 tickets to the Rose Bowl.
To vote, visit this Facebook page.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Martin Woolf at mwoolf@nyodn.org.
New York Organ Donor Network Appoints Helen Irving, RN, MBA, President and CEO
Elaine R. Berg Retires Following 12 Years Helming the Nation’s 2nd Largest Organ Recovery Organization
New York, NY, August 1, 2011: Peter Hutchings, chairman of the board of directors of the New York Organ Donor Network, today announced that following a national search the board has appointed Helen Irving, RN, MBA, to serve as its next president and CEO upon the retirement of current president and CEO, Elaine Berg.
Ms. Irving’s tenure begins on September 26, 2011.
In making this appointment, the board expressed its sincere gratitude for Ms. Berg's 12 years of strong and consistent leadership.
“Elaine has built a robust and stable organization, and we are fortunate that she will serve us through a successful transition in leadership,” said Mr. Hutchings.
Ms. Irving began her career as a critical care nurse and is returning to the New York Organ Donor Network family where, in 1993, she served as a transplant coordinator and was subsequently promoted to clinical manager. She was recruited to NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital as manager of transplant operations, and then to The Mount Sinai Medical Center as administrative director, managing the Transplant Institute and Dialysis.
Ms. Irving comes to the Donor Network after eight years of service to Mount Sinai, where she is currently vice president of hospital operations. In addition to many other areas, she oversees solid organ transplantation, dialysis, and bone marrow transplantation.
Ms. Irving, a native of England, has lived in New York for 17 years. She received her BS in Health Administration from St. Joseph’s College, and her MBA in Health Care Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.
“We are thrilled that Helen Irving, with her significant clinical, administrative, and business expertise; varied donation and transplantation experience; and knowledge of healthcare in New York, is joining our family as our next leader,” said Ms. Berg. “It has been an honor and privilege to serve New York’s donation community for the past 12 years, in which we helped to save thousands of lives.”
Contact:
Dave Falkenstein (Sunshine Sachs) 212-691-2800
Julia Rivera (New York Organ Donor Network) 646-291-4456
Martin Woolf (New York Organ Donor Network) 646-291-4460
State Health Commissioner Announces New State-Federal-Local Partnership to Increase Number of New Yorkers Who Sign Up on State’s Organ and Tissue Donor Registry
Cites Shortage of Organs and Tissues for New Yorkers Waiting for Transplants
The following press release was issued by the New York State Department of Health:
New York, NY, July 28, 2011: New York State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah, MD, MPH, today announced a new partnership effort to encourage more New Yorkers to "Give the Gift of Life" by signing up on the State's Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.
Joined by federal, state and local officials as well as transplant recipients and family members of donors at the Manhattan headquarters of the New York Organ Donor Network, Commissioner Shah noted that each year more than 1,200 New Yorkers receive organ transplants but more than 9,000 New Yorkers are on waiting lists.
Monday, August 1, is National Minority Donor Awareness Day to encourage greater donor enrollment among all racial and ethnic groups and highlight the acute need for organ transplants among minorities, who make up 50 percent of those on the national waiting lists.
"Residents of New York State make up approximately 10 percent of the entire national waiting list for organ transplants, and every day approximately 18 people die in this country waiting for a transplant," said Dr. Shah. "Currently 2.5 million New Yorkers are enrolled in the State's Donor Registry, but we know there are many more New Yorkers who would be willing to give the gift of life upon their deaths."
The New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry – called the Donate Life Registry – is a confidential, computerized registry that records an individual's consent to donate their organs and tissues upon their death. The listing can only be accessed at the time of death by a federally-approved organ procurement organization and licensed eye and tissue banks.
Dr. Shah announced that under new leadership in the State Health Department and the Governor's Office, the state is joining with its partners at the federal and local levels to strengthen and improve efforts to increase enrollment in the donor registry. Planned activities include efforts to create a system for online enrollment using a secure electronic signature.
Jaime Torres, Regional Director for the U.S. Department of health and Human Services (HHS), said: "Donation reminds us of how connected we are through blood, tissue and organs. People of all ages and ethnicities can save and enhance lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. HHS and health advocates across the country are observing National Minority Donor Awareness Day by calling attention to the need for organ, eye and tissue donors from minority populations."
Michelle Davis, HHS Regional Health Administrator, said: "Due to high rates of diabetes and high blood pressure, African Americans and other minorities require organ transplants at higher rates than that of other ethnic groups. By becoming a donor you can help decrease disparities within communities of color."
Barbara Fiala, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, said: "The Department of Motor Vehicles is pleased to partner with the Department of Health and others gathered here today to help raise awareness throughout the state about the importance of organ donation. "Currently, the majority of New Yorkers who sign up on the Registry do so by signing the donation box on their driver's license or non-driver ID card application or renewal form. We will continue our efforts to remind the public that signing up is simple and could be lifesaving."
New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said: "One of the greatest attributes of New York City is its diversity. However, many of our residents from minority groups suffer from illnesses that require organ transplants. This means there is a great need for organ donors, especially among our minority population. I encourage everyone who intends to be a donor to register. No matter what your skin color, the language you speak at home, or what country you were born in, register to be an organ donor today."
Kenneth Raske, President and CEO, Greater New York Hospital Association, said: "This critically important push to encourage organ donation could enable New York's world class hospital transplant departments and surgeons to help thousands more patients who desperately need organs. New York lags behind far too many states in terms of the number of available organs for transplanting, so we strongly urge more New Yorkers to consent to donate their organs."
Elaine Berg, President and CEO, New York Organ Donor Network, said: "On behalf of the New York Organ Donor Network and the New York State Alliance on Donation, I commend Commissioner Shah and other federal, state and city officials for partnering with the recovery organizations to address the shortage of organs for life saving organ transplant. We are at a critical time in the history of organ, eye and tissue donation. New Yorkers are proud and generous people. Together we can save more lives and prevent needless deaths."
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact: Diane Mathis
518 474 7354, ext.1
518 817 6198 (cell)
dmm10@health.state.ny.us
Donor Network CEO Elaine Berg Awarded Excellence in Leadership
June 16, 2011: It was another proud moment for the New York Organ Donor Network.
At the Annual Meeting of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) in Denver, Colorado this week, the Donor Network's president and CEO Elaine Berg was recognized by her peers when she received the Sallop/AOPO Excellence in Leadership Award.
The criteria for nominees: An individual employed by an OPO, demonstrating excellence in leadership through outstanding management achievements or innovative practices in the organ procurement field.
For more than a decade, Ms. Berg has led the New York Organ Donor Network, helping to transform organ donation and transplantation in the greater New York metropolitan area.
During that time, more than 2,700 deceased organ donors have given the gift of life, with more than 7,000 organs having been transplanted.
Before joining the Donor Network in November 1999, Ms. Berg was vice president of Community Health Systems for NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
Prior to that, she served as vice president and executive director of the Allen Pavilion in Manhattan, which is part of the NewYork-Presbyterian system.
For eight years, Ms. Berg was the executive vice president and CEO of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in New York City. She also held a series of positions at St. Luke's - Roosevelt Hospital Center, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, and Jacobi Hospital.
Ms. Berg has been an active leader on the boards of several organizations supporting organ, tissue and eye donation both locally and nationally, including the New York Alliance for Donation, Donate Life America and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).
Family of Organ Donor Julio Garcia Meets Five Transplant Recipients Whose Lives Were Saved
New York, NY, May 20, 2011: When Julio Garcia died suddenly from a brain hemorrhage at the age of 38 in March 2010,
his organs saved seven people. He also donated his corneas.
Fourteen months later, on May 11, Julio's wife, her children and other family members, got to meet five recipients who received Julio's organs. One of them is a two-year-old boy.
As word gets out about the meeting in Manhattan, Elaine Berg, president and CEO of the New York Organ Donor Network, says she hopes the story that appeared in The New York Times on May 17 will make more New Yorkers realize there are not enough people like Julio Garcia and his family.
Ms. Berg says the emotional meeting between Julio's wife, Mirtala, and some of her husband's recipients, will hopefully inspire more New Yorkers to decide to become organ donors.
"Nearly 8,000 people need organ transplants in the greater New York metropolitan area," says Ms. Berg. "And yet last year, there were just 242 deceased organ donors in the region. Worse still, only 16 percent of New Yorkers have signed the state's organ donor registry, compared with an average of 40 percent nationwide."
Among the family members with Mirtala at the meeting were Julio's son Kevin Lemus, 18, as well as their children Jeffrey (11) and Brianna (5).
A highlight of the emotional meeting, where many tears were shed, was when Mirtala met Sebastiao Lourenco who received Julio's heart. They hugged for what felt like the longest time, and Mirtala placed her hand on Sebastiao's heart --- to feel Julio's heart still beating strongly.
Like Mirtala, Julio was born in Guatemala. Julio and Mirtala were married for 11 years. He was a craftsman and a carpenter. He also was a pastor at a church and loved to preach the Bible.
Another bittersweet meeting was when Mirtala met two-year-old Braylen Benitez who received a liver segment from Julio. Like any healthy kid his age, Braylen was eager to run around and explore the New York Organ Donor Network's conference room.
The other recipients in attendance were Edward Santos, a member of the Garcia's family church, who received a kidney; Thomas Ginz, Julio's lung recipient, and Jo Ann Laskaris, who received the right segment of Julio's liver.
Dr. Herbert Pardes, the president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System, addressed the attendees. Julio's donation and some of the transplants took place at hospitals led by Dr. Pardes. Representatives from Yale-New Haven Hospital and Mount Sinai Medical Center, where the other transplants took place, were also present.
The Donor Network's Elaine Berg, in summing up how she envisages the meeting will impact New Yorkers, said: "I hope that the generosity of Julio and the Garcia family will prompt everyone 18 and over to sign up on the New York State Donate Life Registry." Donor registry enrollment can be completed when individuals apply for or renew their driver's licenses at New York Department of Motor Vehicles offices, or on the New York Organ Donor Network's website.
Media: Contact Martin Woolf, 646-291-4460 or via e-mail: mwoolf@nyodn.org.
NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH: Groundbreaking Campaign to Increase Organ Donation Enrollment
The New York Organ Donor Network Teams up with former NFL Superstar, WFAN’s Boomer Esiason and Actor Grizz Chapman of “30 Rock” for Donate Life Month
New York, NY, April 12, 2011: For National Donate Life Month, the New York Organ Donor Network is employing a groundbreaking campaign to increase organ donation registrations in the state and help relieve the state’s critical organ donor shortage.
The initiative features unprecedented activity at DMVs throughout the region, an enrollment contest amongst areas within the region, and is headlined by former NFL superstar, WFAN’s Boomer Esiason and “30 Rock” star Grizz Chapman.
Esiason and Chapman will serve as “captains” of the contest that challenges metro area residents to sign-up on the state donor registry at DMVs or at www.SaveLivesNewYork.org. Esiason, a longtime champion of organ donation will serve as captain of Manhattan and Long Island; Chapman, himself a kidney recipient, will lead the outer boroughs and northern counties.
“We’re thrilled to stand with Boomer and Grizz as we work toward our shared goal of saving more lives through donation,” said Elaine Berg, president and CEO of the New York Organ Donor Network. “Grizz and Boomer’s help will go a long way toward reducing the critical shortage of organ donors in New York.”
As part of the contest, organ recipients and families of organ donors will be on site at DMVs throughout the region to share their experiences with donation: Stories like that of double-lung recipient Andrea Eisenman Downey, who lived to walk down the aisle at her wedding in 2008; and stories like that of Regina Mirailh, whose son saved seven lives through donation after he was tragically killed in a 1999 car accident.
“I am alive today; I can keep making people laugh today because of the selfless generosity of a stranger who now is family. I thank God and my donor Ryan who saved my life, every day I say thank you,” said Chapman.
“I’ve long believed that giving the gift of life is the greatest act of charity one person can bestow on another,” said Esiason. “I’m proud to work with Grizz and the New York Organ Donor Network to help save lives.”
There are currently more than 110,000 people waiting for life-saving organs in the United States; 8,000 in the New York Metropolitan area alone. 18 die across the U.S. every day while waiting. Only 16 percent of eligible New Yorkers (age 18 and over) are enrolled on the state donor registry; the national average is nearly 40 percent. This campaign is born out of an effort to close that gap.
Among the DMV locations where recipients and donor families will be located are: Springfield Gardens, Hauppauge, Medford, Port Jefferson, Riverhead, Huntington, Garden City Massapequa, Bethpage in Long Island; College Point, Jamaica, Brooklyn, Coney Island, Harlem, Herald Square, Greenwich Street, Midtown in New York City and; West Haverstraw, Peekskill, White Plains, Yonkers in the Northern Counties.
New York Organ Donor Network: The Donor Network is the nonprofit federally designated organ procurement organization that serves an area of over 13 million people in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Long Island and Staten Island, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester and Pike County in Pennsylvania.
New York State Donate Life Registry: The registry is a confidential database maintained by the New York State Department of Health, which allows individuals to express their consent to be organ donors when they die. The numbers of eligible New York State residents who are currently on the registry—those aged 18 and over—is only 16 percent.
Media: Contact Martin Woolf at mwoolf@nyodn.org or call 646-291-4460.
African-American Transplant Surgeon’s Contributions Inspire Support for Black History Month Donor Registry Drive
New York, NY, February 3, 2011: To coincide with Black History Month throughout February, the New York Organ Donor Network is partnering with African-American leaders across the New York metropolitan area to join their “I Am Proud to Be an Organ Donor” campaign, which is designed to encourage people of color to get the facts about donation and sign up on the New York State Registry.
The campaign kicks off this month and continues until April with many events to highlight donation taking place across the metropolitan area. It may be a little known fact, but it was an African-American transplant surgeon who was the first physician to perform a kidney transplant between a recipient and donor who weren’t identical twins. In 1961, Dr. Samuel Lee Kountz Jr., a resident physician at Stanford, performed the history-making transplant. He would go on to mark a distinguished career, performing more than 500 kidney transplants.
Prior to that, at the end of 1954, Dr. Joseph Murray had performed the first successful human transplant, when Ronald Herrick donated a kidney to his twin, Richard, at what is now Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Ronald, who kept his brother alive for eight years, died this past December at the age of 79.
Although Dr. Kountz’s life ended prematurely in December 1981 after he had contracted a neurological disease, many life-saving transplants have occurred since his 1961 landmark surgery. For instance, since 1988, African-Americans have received over 89,000 transplants.
Still, despite the medical advances, more than 110,000 people await transplants in the United States, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). More than 32,000 of those waiting are African-American, although this community only represents 13 percent of the U.S population.
“It is incredible to look back to salute Dr. Kountz’s achievements and the African-American surgeons who followed in his footsteps,” said Elaine Berg, president and CEO of the New York Organ Donor Network. “At the same time, of the approximately 7,500 patients who need transplants in the New York metro area, more than 2,600 or 34 percent are African-Americans.”
Karen Cummings, a New York Organ Donor Network public and professional education specialist, said, “The disproportionate numbers of African-Americans affected by the need for organ donation is mainly due to diseases that are prevalent in that community, like high blood pressure, diabetes and lupus. Many of these lead to renal failure.”
It’s in this context that the New York Organ Donor Network is calling upon African-Americans’ pride in their heritage during Black History Month, and the inspiring role of Dr. Kountz, to sign up on the New York State Donate Life Registry.
To enroll in the registry, check off the box on the driver’s license application form or renewal form at the New York Department of Motor Vehicles; or enroll online at www.DonateLifeNY.org.
New York Organ Donor Network: The Donor Network is the nonprofit federally designated organ procurement organization that serves an area of over 13 million people in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Long Island and Staten Island, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester and Pike County in Pennsylvania.
New York State Donate Life Registry: The registry is a confidential database maintained by the New York State Department of Health, which allows individuals to express their consent to be organ donors when they die. The numbers of eligible New York State residents who are currently on the registry—those aged 18 and over—is only 15 percent.
To participate in Black History Month organ donor registry enrollment drives, contact Karen Cummings at kcumming@nyodn.org or call 646-291-4454.
Media: Contact Martin Woolf at mwoolf@nyodn.org or call 646-291-4460.
New York Organ Donor Network Names Two Executive Hires: James Pardes Is Vice President of Marketing and Communications; Helen Christensen Directs Clinical Services
New York, NY, January 11, 2011: The New York Organ Donor Network has announced the following executive appointments:
James Pardes is the organization’s first-ever vice president of marketing and communications. Mr. Pardes is a seasoned marketer with more than 15 years of marketing experience across the consumer packaged goods, sports, and health care industries.
Prior to joining the Donor Network, he served as director of international marketing partnerships at the National Basketball Association (NBA) where he managed and marketed the USA Basketball and Harlem Globetrotters brands.
Before joining the NBA, Mr. Pardes worked at the sports marketing agency Octagon as group director of the NASCAR-Sprint partnership; at Unilever as brand manager for Lever 2000, and at behavioral health care outcomes measurement company DeltaMetrics as marketing manager.
Mr. Pardes has an MBA from Columbia Business School, and a MEd in Sports Management from Temple University.
Helen Christensen joined the Donor Network as director of clinical services. Ms. Christensen has more than 16 years experience in the organ donation field and has built a nationwide reputation for enhancing organ donation.
From July 1994 until joining the Donor Network, Ms. Christensen held various positions at the California Transplant Donor Network (CTDN), the organ procurement organization that is based in Oakland, California.
Ms. Christensen has maintained a leadership role in the National Learning Collaborative, an initiative of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Hospital Services (HHS). Recently, she received the Region 5 Leadership Award at the Sixth National Learning Congress for the Donation and Transplantation Community of Practice held in Grapevine, Texas.
After joining CTDN as a transplant coordinator, Ms. Christensen then spent the next seven years as the hospital services coordinator. For the past eight years, Ms. Christensen held the position of manager of hospital development at CTDN. During her tenure, she initiated and improved organ and tissue donation practices as required by national legislation. In 2010, Ms. Christensen developed the OPO’s new position of coroner and medical examiner liaison.
Ms. Christensen received her BSN degree from the University of California, Dominguez Hills, CA, and her MHA from St Mary’s in Moraga CA. She earned an associate’s degree in nursing at DeAnza College in Cupertino, CA.
Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of the Catholic Church in New York, and a National Leader, Says that Organ Donation Is a Powerful Way for Individuals to Show Love of Others
New York, NY, November 24, 2010: Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of the Catholic Church in New York and newly elected President of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, has issued a statement that encourages Catholics to sign up as organ donors.
In the statement, sent to the New York Organ Donor Network, Archbishop Dolan says: “It is for the betterment of humanity, for the love of one’s fellow human beings, that organ donation is undertaken. One of the most powerful ways for individuals to demonstrate love for their neighbor is by making an informed decision to be an organ donor.”
Elaine Berg, the president and CEO of the New York Organ Donor Network, welcomes Archbishop Dolan’s message. “We are extremely appreciative that Archbishop Dolan has reinforced the powerful message of love and generosity associated with organ, tissue and eye donation. His words of encouragement help to reinforce the fact that all major religions support donation as one of the most noble of gifts.”
Boosted by Archbishop’s call for an increase in donation, the New York Organ Donor Network is appealing to New York area Catholics to sign the New York State Donate Life Registry for organ, eye and tissue donation.
“We feel it is in the power of our religious leaders to make miracles happen this Holiday season by rallying in support of organ donation,” Ms. Berg said.
“That is why the Archbishop’s support is so significant now at the start of the holidays and throughout the year. We hope New York’s Catholics be motivated and inspired to enroll as donors.”
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New Yorkers age 18 and over can sign the New York State Donate Life Registry when visiting their local DMV to apply for or renew their driver’s license. Individuals can also download an enrollment form on the New York Organ Donor Network’s website at https://apps.nyhealth.gov/professionals/patients/donation/organ/DonorRegistration.action.
If you wish to support the New York Organ Donor Network’s mission of saving lives by promoting organ donation in your house of worship, please contact Karen Cummings at 646-291-4454 or via e-mail: kcumming@nyodn.org.
Media: Contact Martin Woolf, 646-291-4460 or via e-mail: mwoolf@nyodn.org.
During National Donor Sabbath, New York Organ Donor Network Urges All Religious Leaders to Make Miracles Happen
New York, NY, October 18, 2010: With National Donor Sabbath 2010 just two weeks away, the New York Organ Donor Network has issued an urgent appeal to religious leaders in the greater New York metropolitan area: Please help to help motivate your congregants to save lives by signing the New York State Donate Life Registry for organ, eye and tissue donation.
Donor Sabbath, which is celebrated throughout November, is part of a national initiative launched by the Department of Health and Human Services in 1997. It is a time when houses of worship educate their congregants on the life-saving and life-improving gifts of organ, cornea and tissue donation.
“We realize that some people need the help of their religious leader when it comes to the issue of life and death,” said Elaine Berg, the president and CEO of the New York Organ Donor Network. The Donor Network is the second largest nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization in the United States.
“All religions support donation as one of the most noble of gifts,” Ms. Berg said. “This is why we feel there is no better source of support for each individual family when it comes to organ and tissue donation than their religious leader. We face a particularly dire situation in our region. Close to 8,000 people are waiting for organ transplants, and yet each year there are fewer than 300 deceased donors.”
Ms. Berg urged religious leaders to include discussion about donation during Sabbath services in November. “It would also be so helpful if they coordinated their efforts with organ donor registry drives. The New York State Donate Life Registry is a database of legal consent. Regrettably, New York ranks very low when compared with other states in terms of percentage of individuals who have enrolled.
“We feel it is in the power of our religious leaders to make miracles happen this Donor Sabbath by rallying in support of organ donation.”
New Yorkers age 18 and over can sign the New York State Donate Life Registry when visiting their local DMV to apply for or renew their driver’s license. Individuals can also enroll on the Donor Network’s website at www.DonateLifeNY.org.
A Critical Shortage of Organ Donors:
- There are close to 110,000 people waiting for life-saving transplants across the United States.
- Nearly 8,000 of those individuals live in the New York metro area.
- Nearly 8,000 of those individuals live in the New York metro area.
- On average, 18 people die each day in the United States while waiting for organ transplants they do not receive.
- Only 13 percent of New York residents age 18 or over have signed up on the New York State Donate Life Registry.
The New York State Donate Life Registry:
The registry is a confidential database maintained by New York State’s Department of Health. This is a registry that records an individual’s legal consent to become an organ, cornea and tissue donor upon their death.
If you wish to support the New York Organ Donor Network’s mission of saving lives by participating in National Donor Sabbath, please contact Karen Cummings at 646-291-4454 or via e-mail: kcumming@nyodn.org.
Media: Contact Martin Woolf, 646-291-4460 or mwoolf@nyodn.org.
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH: Transplant Recipients of Latino Descent Hope Their Close Calls Will Inspire Donor Registry Enrollments
New York, NY, September 14, 2010: After suffering two heart attacks, 34-year-old Juan Farias waited three years before he received a heart—as well as a new liver. Juan, who has four children and lives in Middletown, NY, received his life-saving transplants in 2007 at Montefiore Medical Center.
Thirteen years earlier, Dr. Jose Goris, a New Jersey resident, faced his own personal crisis. Jose, a general practitioner, was diagnosed in 1994 with a rare liver disease, sclerosing cholangitis, at which time he was told that he needed a transplant. The transplant only became a reality in 2007 at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia Presbyterian, when his good friend, Rigo Peralta, gave him part of his liver.
Both men are among the fortunate individuals to receive organ transplants before it was too late. In the greater New York metropolitan area, there are close to 8,000 people on the national waiting list.
Juan and Jose — both of whom are proud of their Hispanic ancestry — are hoping their personal experiences will motivate other Latinos in New York to sign the Donate Life Registry during Hispanic Heritage Month that begins September 15.
Their plea is all the more urgent because 1,600 or 20 percent of those who need transplants in the New York metro area are of Hispanic descent.
Considering how many people are waiting for transplants and how few deceased organ donors there are —in 2009, there were just 285 donors in the entire New York metro area — Juan says, “It’s so important to let Hispanics know of the critical need for donation. I was very lucky but so many Latinos will die without a transplant. We have to educate ourselves and then please, please, sign the New York State Donate life Registry.”
Jose, whose transplant means he can continue caring for his patients with a predominantly Hispanic community in Washington Heights, feels blessed to have had a friend come to his rescue.
“The lesson I learned is that Hispanics should register to become organ donors before a tragedy affects them or a family member,” he says. “With no deceased donor available, only Rigo’s generosity kept me alive.”
For their part, the New York Organ Donor Network is hoping that these personal accounts will lead to more Latinos making a concerted effort to enroll in the New York State Donate Life Registry, a confidential database administered by New York State’s Department of Health.
Elaine Berg, the Donor Network’s president and CEO, points out that New York trails far behind most other states in the percentage of population who have registered to be donors. “It’s shocking to think that only 13 percent of New Yorkers age 18 and over have enrolled,” she says.
“We acknowledge that Hispanics traditionally are among the most giving in our community, with a consent rate of close to 60 percent. But the truth is that around one-third of Hispanics either haven’t registered or their next-of-kin say ‘no’ to donation.”
Julia Rivera, herself of Hispanic descent, is the director of communications at the Donor Network. She says that with increases in obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, the need for kidney transplants has grown in the U.S.
“In 2009, according to the National Kidney Foundation, Hispanic-Americans had a high percentage of diagnosed diabetes cases, the most common cause of renal failure,” Ms. Rivera said. “Of all newly diagnosed cases of renal failure, 11 percent of the patients are Hispanic-Americans. Several will need kidney transplants.”
Ms. Rivera adds: “The more we share this information with the Hispanic community, the more prepared they will be to take care of themselves, and more amenable to enrolling on the Donate Life Registry. It’s a legacy of love and a chance to save a life.”
To enroll in the New York State Donate Life Registry: Log onto the registry from the home page of this website.
If you, your business or organization would like to conduct an Organ Donor Registry Drive during Hispanic Heritage Month: Contact the Donor Network’s Miriam Perez at 646 291-4455 or mpereznyodn.org
About the New York Organ Donor Network: Founded in 1978, the New York Organ Donor Network is the second largest of the nation’s 58 nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs.) The Donor Network is responsible for the recovery of organs, eyes, and tissues for transplantation as well as public and professional education efforts in the greater New York metropolitan area. It serves a highly diverse population in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, and Pike County, PA. The Donor Network partners with 10 transplant centers, more than 90 hospitals, as well as several eye and tissue banks. It is fully accredited by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) and is a member of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS.)
Media: For more information, contact Martin Woolf at 646-291-4460 or mwoolfnyodn.org
Suffolk County’s EMS Partners With the New York Organ Donor Network
The Donor Network and Suffolk Emergency Medical Services Announce an Education Program to Increase Awareness of the Need for, and Role of EMS, In Organ, Tissue and Eye Donation
Hauppauge, NY, August 17, 2010: Suffolk County EMS and the New York Organ Donor Network have announced the launch of a new professional education program entitled Myths and Realities, and the Role of EMS in Organ and Tissue Donation.
The program, presented by Nick Seals, a paramedic who works as a donor evaluation coordinator at the Donor Network, is already proving to be a revelation for EMS providers, who unknowingly play an important role in the evaluation of potential organ donors.
“It’s a very eye-opening and inspiring presentation,” said Greg Miniutti, the assistant chief of the Commack Volunteer Ambulance Corps, one of the first departments to host the program during its pilot testing phase this past May. The program, when it was just an idea Mr. Seals had, was first tested last summer at Greenlawn Fire Department.
Gary Ritter, a paramedic and physicians assistant who attended the presentation in Commack, said, “I was impressed with the personal connection that Nick made me feel as a paramedic to this whole other world of organ donation.”
The next program presentation is on Tuesday, August 17 at Cold Spring Harbor Volunteer Fire Department.
Among the important issues the program stresses for EMS providers is the need for accurate and thorough documentation. “The pre-hospital care report generated by EMTs in the field is one of the first things we look for in the chart of a potential donor,” Mr. Seals explained.
Tom Lateulere, Course Sponsor administrator of Suffolk County Emergency Medical Services said, “This seems like a logical fit. As health care practitioners and partners in our community, we’re happy to be involved in the sharing of this vital information. We all know a little bit about the need for organ donation. This program is focusing in on what we can do as EMS providers to help spread the word.”
Mr. Seals said the program educates EMS personnel about the critical shortage of organ and tissue donors in New York, while at the same time dispelling some of the myths surrounding the topic.
“We stress the role that we, as EMS providers, play as allied health care professionals in our communities,” Mr. Seals stated. “I have found that my fellow medics and EMTs are often fascinated by exactly what it is that I do for the Donor Network. Now I’ve turned that curiosity into a more formal presentation. My hope is that once they’ve completed the program, EMS providers will go on to educate their friends and family about the realities of organ and tissue donation.”
Mr. Seals noted that there are more than 100 EMS agencies and more than 5,000 providers in Suffolk County.
Ambulance services, fire departments, or other organizations interested in hosting the program can visit the Suffolk REMSCO website at www.suffolkremsco.com, and then click on the “Donate Life” link; or they can email a request to nseals@nyodn.org. Scheduled presentations will also be listed on the Suffolk REMSCO site. The program entitles attendees to CME credit.
About the New York Organ Donor Network: Founded in 1978, the New York Organ Donor Network is the second largest of the nation’s 58 nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs.) The Donor Network is responsible for the recovery of organs, eyes, and tissues for transplantation as well as public and professional education efforts in the greater New York metropolitan area. It serves a highly diverse population in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, and Pike County, PA. The Donor Network partners with 10 transplant centers, more than 90 hospitals, as well as several eye and tissue banks. It is fully accredited by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) and is a member of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS.)
Media: For more information, contact Martin Woolf, 646-291-4460 or mwoolf@nyodn.org.
New York Organ Donor Network Aims to Increase Organ Donor Registry Enrollments on August 1, National Minority Awareness Day
New York, NY, July 27, 2010: The New York Organ Donor Network is urging the region’s minority population to take action on National Minority Awareness Day on Sunday, August 1, by registering to be organ donors.
National Minority Awareness Day draws attention to the need for organ and tissue donors among minority populations through initiatives including intensive awareness campaigns and the promotion of healthy living and disease prevention to decrease the need for transplantation.
This year, National Minority Awareness Day takes place just weeks after the signing of the groundbreaking Electronic Signature Act by Governor David Paterson. Once implemented, the new law will allow all New Yorkers to sign the Donate Life Registry online.
In the interim, the Donor Network is urging individuals not to wait.
“The situation is desperate,” said Elaine Berg, the Donor Network’s president and CEO. “We appeal to the metro area’s minority population to make that extra effort right now, on August 1. Please visit our website at www.DonateLifeNY.org to fill out the registry enrollment form. By printing, signing and mailing in the form, you may one day be able to save or improve the lives of up to 60 people.”
To emphasize why enrolling is so important, the Donor Network points out that of the 5,340 people of color waiting for organ transplants in New York State, 3,000 (31 percent) are African-American, 1,595 (16 percent) are Hispanic and 745 (8 percent) are Asian.
Of the 1,940 transplant recipients in New York State last year, a total of 425 (22 percent) were African-American, 373 recipients (19 percent) were Hispanic, and 150 (8 percent) were Asian.
On Minority Awareness day, the Donor Network works to dispel myths about donation, and arm all New Yorkers with the facts they need about donation and the Donate Life Registry, a confidential database administered by New York State’s Department of Health.
About the New York Organ Donor Network: Founded in 1978, the New York Organ Donor Network is the second largest of the nation’s 58 nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs). The Donor Network is responsible for the recovery of organs, eyes and tissues for transplantation, and public and professional education efforts in the greater New York metropolitan area. It serves a highly diverse population in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester and Pike County, PA. The Donor Network partners with 10 transplant centers, more than 100 hospitals, as well as several eye and tissue banks. It is fully accredited by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) and is a member of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS).
Media: For more information, contact Martin Woolf at 646-291-4460 or at mwoolf@nyodn.org.
New York Organ Donor Network Applauds Governor Paterson's Signing of Electronic Signature Act
Law Will Result in Drastically Increased Donor Registry Enrollments to Save Lives
New York, NY, July 8, 2010: Governor David Paterson today signed into law an electronic signature bill that will dramatically improve the organ donation process in New York. The law will allow New Yorkers to register online to become organ donors. The bill passed the Assembly unanimously on April 27 and the Senate on May 12. The Electronic Signature Act eliminates the need to download enrollment forms and mail them in.
The statement from Elaine Berg, President and CEO of the New York Organ Donor Network follows:
“This is an historic day for every New Yorker that is waiting for a lifesaving organ. For years, the New York Organ Donor Network has led the fight for an electronic signature. This bill is the key to streamlining the organ donation registration process; once implemented, its effect will be immediate, and will result in countless lives being saved.
“On behalf of the entire New York Organ Donor Network family, I applaud Governor Paterson for signing this bill into law, and giving New Yorkers the tools they need to step up and sign the donor registry in record numbers.
“We thank Senator Duane, Assemblymen Gottfried and Brodsky, and all of the bill’s cosponsors for their continuing leadership in making this dream a reality. We extend our gratitude to the entire Assembly and Senate for unanimously passing this landmark legislation.”
About the New York Organ Donor Network: Founded in 1978, the New York Organ Donor Network is the second largest of the nation’s 58 nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs). The Donor Network is responsible for the recovery of organs, eyes and tissues for transplantation, and public and professional education efforts in the greater New York metropolitan area. It serves a highly diverse population in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester and Pike County, PA. The Donor Network partners with 10 transplant centers, more than 100 hospitals, as well as several eye and tissue banks. It is fully accredited by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) and is a member of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS).
Media: For more information, contact Martin Woolf at 646-291-4460 or at mwoolf@nyodn.org.
New York Organ Donor Network Launches a New Advertising Campaign
“Keep Life Going” Features New Yorkers whose Lives Have Been Saved by Organ Donation
New York, NY, June 9, 2010: In an effort to reduce New York State’s critical shortage of organ donors, the New York Organ Donor Network is urging Governor Paterson to take action on the Electronic Signature Act, which will simplify the registry enrollment process and allow New Yorkers to electronically sign onto the state’s Donate Life registry. The bill passed unanimously in both the Assembly and the Senate, and is pending the Governor’s action to bring New York State into line with every state that has had success signing up organ donors.
While the legislation is pending, the New York Organ Donor Network has launched “Keep Life Going,” a new advertising campaign featuring New Yorkers whose lives have been saved by organ donation.
“Keep Life Going” launched the last week of May on Long Island. Ads will be displayed at Long Island Railroad stations, on Long Island buses, and heard on radio stations in Nassau and Suffolk counties. The advertising will run through August.
The ads feature John Primavera, a father from Merrick who received his life-saving kidney transplant as a teenager; Marilyn Foster, a mother of two from Brooklyn and a liver recipient; Raphael Kellner, a 6-year-old boy from Westchester whose life was saved by a liver transplant; Jessie-Ann Bettcher, a 19-year old college student, whose life was saved by a heart transplant; and 5-year-old Gregory Denizard, whose life was saved by a liver transplant. The campaign will feature many more survivors from New York City, Long Island, and Westchester.
