The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations earned national recognition for its efforts to increase organ, eye, and tissue donor registrations across the state through the Workplace Partnership for Life (WPFL) Hospital Organ Donation Campaign. The WPFL is a national initiative that unites the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the organ donation community with workplaces across the nation in spreading the word about the importance of donation.
The WPFL Hospital Organ Donation Campaign challenges hospitals and healthcare organizations to “let life bloom” by educating their staff, patients, visitors, and communities about the critical need for organ, eye, and tissue donation, including offering opportunities to register as organ donors. SDAHO earned Platinum recognition for conducting awareness between October 2020 and April 2021, prompting new donor registrations during that period.
In the past year, 1,333 hospitals helped add 50,850 donor registrations, with 630,000 donor registrations added in he past 11 years increasing the number of organs available for transplantation to improve the lives of others.
This past year SDAHO was an active partner with LifeSource helping to educate members and the public on the importance of organ donation. SDAHO served as an advocate on behalf of LifeSource, sharing information with our state’s elected officials. Blue and Green Day is held annually to bring awareness to the importance of organ donation, with the SDAHO staff participating in this day and sharing their efforts through social media and member outreach. Members of the SDAHO Education and Communication team participated in the OPO-State Hospital Association Partnership presentation that took place during the 2021 AOPO Compass Conference.
The LifeSource Service area that includes South Dakota, also includes Minnesota and North Dakota, serving 7.2 million people. There are 9 transplant centers, over 279 hospitals with 13 hospital liaisons.
Every nine minutes, another person is added to the national organ transplant waiting list, reaffirming the critical and growing need for more registered organ, eye, and tissue donors. For more information about the WPFL Hospital Organ Donation Campaign, click here. Visit donatelifemidwest.org to sign up as a donor today!
