Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) received an award recently from the Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) for its outstanding efforts to integrate organ and tissue donation into quality end-of-life care.
TGLN is Ontario’s organ and tissue donation and transplantation agency.
CKHA was presented with the Provincial Conversion Rate Award by Janet MacLean, Vice President of Clinical Donation Services, TGLN.
The award is granted to organizations that meet or exceed the TGLN’s target of a 58-per-cent conversion rate. The conversion rate represents the percentage of potential organ donors that went to become actual donors.
Organ donation is a complex process and conversion rate reflects how well TGLN and CKHA work together to save lives. In 2017/18, CKHA surpassed the target to achieve a conversion rate of 67 per cent.
“As a designated Trillium Gift of Life Network hospital since 2012, CKHA has worked closely with TGLN to put best practices in place that support our commitment to organ and tissue donation,” Lisa Northcott, Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive & Chief Professional Practice at CKHA said in a media release. “We are very proud to have earned this award and look forward to continuing our work to save and improve lives through organ and tissue donation.”
CKHA is one of 29 hospitals and partners to be awarded a 2017/18 Trillium Gift of Life Network Hospital Award.
“We are proud to acknowledge the important contributions of our hospital partners because the success of organ and tissue donation in Ontario relies on their hard work and dedication,” said Ronnie Gavsie, President and CEO, Trillium Gift of Life Network. “This award reflects the continued commitment of CKHA to implement donation best practices and offer families the opportunity to make a lifesaving choice.”
Today, more than 1,500 people in Ontario are on the waitlist for a lifesaving organ transplant, and every three days someone will die without one. While the majority of Canadians support donation, only 33 per cent of Ontarians have formally registered their consent for organ and tissue donation.
Some people believe that their age or medical condition prevents them from being a donor. In actuality, age does not prevent someone from becoming a donor, and each potential donor is assessed at the time of death for medical suitability.
Others may not have registered under the misguided assumption that doctors will not work hard to save a life if that patient is a registered donor, but in fact, the first priority is always to save a life. Donation is only considered after all life-saving efforts are exhausted, there is no chance of recovery and the family accepts the diagnosis of death.
Chatham-Kent exceeds the provincial average of registered organ donors with a registration rate of 47 per cent, ranking 52 out of 170 communities in Ontario. Visit www.beadonor.ca to register or find out more.
