Danbury Hospital Honored For Organ Donation Program

DANBURY — The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has honored Danbury Hospital for its efforts to increase organ donations through the work of its Organ and Tissue Donation Committee.

The hospital received a DHHS Medal of Honor in May for its support of organ and tissue donation through prompt identification and referral of potential donors, collaboration with the New England Organ Bank (NEOB), and establishing an efficient organ donation process.

In 2003 and 2004, Danbury Hospital made 30 life-saving organ transplants possible through ten organ donors. Danbury Hospital was among a select number of US hospitals that were honored by the HHSA as “top-performing organ donation hospitals.”

Committee Chair Michael Walker, MD, chief of the section of thoracic surgery, Department of Surgery, said Danbury Hospital was honored because it exceeded the national average for donor conversion rates. While the national donor conversion rate average is about 50 percent, Danbury Hospital had a donor conversion rate of 83 percent. That means that 83 percent of all persons eligible to be an organ donor actually became a donor. HHSA is striving for a national average of 75 percent, according to Dr Walker, who has chaired the 20-year-old committee since 1998.

“Danbury Hospital has the longest-standing donation committee in Connecticut,” according to Cheryl Edwards, donation coordinator for the NEOB. “We use it as a model program and template for other hospitals that want to start similar committees.” The program has been in existence for so long, said Ms Edwards, that the organ donation process has become second nature at Danbury Hospital.

Part of Danbury Hospital’s organ donation success is attributed to the fact that its Organ and Tissue Donation Committee takes a multidisciplinary approach, and includes professionals from throughout the hospital. The option to consider organ and tissue donation is woven into end of life decisions in every appropriate circumstance at Danbury Hospital.

Dr Walker credits the staff’s education and awareness level of the organ donation program.

“Staff awareness is one of the reasons the program works so well,” he said.

Dr Walker also credits committee members Kristy Dixon, RN, coordinator of nursing education, cardiology; Carol Polito, nurse manager of ICU, CCU, and CTCU; and Pat Woessner, clinical leader of the emergency department; and those who work with the committee, including Eric Jimenez, MD, chief of the section of pulmonary medicine, Department of Medicine; Frank Braza, MD, Department of Laboratory Medicine; Jonathan Alexander, MD, section of cardiology, Department of Medicine; Georgianna Jones, supervisor of invasive cardiology; and Terri Champagne, RN, ASU/Surgical Services.

“Through the hard work of the committee members, it’s rewarding that we’ve been able to best the national averages as well as made it easier for families with injured loved ones to donate their organs and give life to another person,” said Dr Walker.

In accepting the award, Danbury Hospital CEO Frank Kelly said: “We’re very proud and honored to be among the top-performing hospitals from around the country in organ donations. We not only restore health and hope to donor recipients, but we help donor families find meaning and consolation in the loss of loved ones.”