Harrisburg, PA, Sept. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A record 113 hospitals and 24 health systems across Pennsylvania participated in the 2019 HAP Donate Life Hospital Challenge, a program sponsored by The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE), Gift of Life Donor Program, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
The annual HAP Donate Life Pennsylvania Hospital Challenge encourages Pennsylvania hospitals to increase organ donation awareness and designations within their hospital and community. The 2019 challenge began during January and ended during April, which is National Donate Life Month. During the challenge, Pennsylvania’s hospitals dedicate significant effort to drawing attention to the need for organ and tissue donors, and encouraging new donor registrations.
During June, Pennsylvania’s challenge was recognized by Health Resources and Services Administration's Workplace Partnership for Life Hospital Organ Donation Campaign for being the nation’s leader in hospital participation. All 113 Pennsylvania hospital participants were recognized this year, making Pennsylvania one of the top four states in the nation for hospital involvement, and the most engaged state on the east coast.
Participating hospitals’ awareness and designation activities are captured on a scorecard and assigned titanium, platinum, gold, silver, and bronze level recognitions. During 2017, Pennsylvania became the first state to implement titanium designation.
“Losing a loved one can mean unspeakable sadness, but we know that there are ways that we can help honor the lives of those we have lost, and continue their legacies through the most selfless gift of all—life anew,” said Andy Carter, president and CEO of HAP. “I am truly proud to recognize the Pennsylvania hospital community’s commitment to organ donation, and grateful for our longstanding partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, CORE, and Gift of Life Donor Program to help make a difference in so many lives.”
The collaborating organizations recognize the top hospitals and health systems in each organ procurement organization’s service area of the state.
The top performers of the 2019 HAP Donate Life Pennsylvania Hospital Challenge are:
CORE Top Performers
Top Health Systems:
First Place: Excela Health
Second Place: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)
Third Place: Conemaugh Health
Top Hospitals:
First Place: UPMC Presbyterian
Second Place: Armstrong County Memorial Hospital
Third Place: Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center
Gift of Life Top Performers
Top Health Systems:
First Place: UPMC Susquehanna
Second Place: Jefferson Health Northeast
Third Place: University of Pennsylvania Health System
Top Hospitals:
First Place: Temple University Hospital
Second Place: Riddle Hospital
Third Place: Chester County Hospital
A full list of hospital designations resulting from the challenge, and more information about the scoring process, can be found at HAP’s website.
“Organ donation allows individuals to make a difference in the life of someone who is suffering from a serious, and often life-threatening health condition,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “The Pennsylvania Donate Life Hospital Challenge brings awareness and education to organ donation and encourages people to sign up as donors. We are thankful for each person who is signed up to be an organ donor, and the hope they provide to the thousands of Pennsylvanians currently waiting for a life-saving transplant.”
“Guided by Andy Carter and his exceptional team at HAP, the dedication and passion of CORE’s hospital partners throughout the 2019 HAP Donate Life Pennsylvania Hospital Challenge was outstanding,” said Susan Stuart, president and CEO of CORE. “Their work as donation advocates, creating a culture of donation within their hospitals and communities, has not only reinforced the link between donation and transplantation, but has also given CORE the privilege of caring for more donors and their families, of giving hope to those waiting for life-saving organs and tissues, and of ultimately saving and healing more lives.”
“Gift of Life applauds HAP and our hospital partners for championing organ donation and transplantation through the HAP Donate Life Pennsylvania Hospital Challenge,” said Gift of Life Donor Program President and CEO Howard M. Nathan. “This innovative initiative, now six years old, serves as a national model that encourages hospitals to promote awareness of the importance of organ donation in their communities and showcases clinical best practices in improving education and donation practices in hospitals. Thanks to the tremendous partnership of our hospital partners, and their commitment to fostering a strong culture of donation, Pennsylvania continues to lead the nation in donation and transplantation.”
ABOUT HAP: HAP is a statewide membership services organization that advocates for nearly 240 Pennsylvania acute and specialty care, primary care, subacute care, long-term care, home health, and hospice providers, as well as the patients and communities they serve. Additional information about HAP is available online at www.haponline.org.
ABOUT CORE: The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) is one of 58 federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States, serving more than five million people in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Chemung County, NY. Like all OPOs, CORE coordinates the recovery and matching of organs, tissues and corneas for transplant within our service region and works tirelessly to create a culture of donation within the hospitals and communities we serve. CORE’s mission is to save and heal through donation, all the while maintaining integrity for the donation process, dignity for the donors, and compassion for their families. For more information, visit core.org.
ABOUT GIFT OF LIFE: Gift of Life Donor Program is the non-profit, federally-designated organ procurement organization, serving 11.2 million people in Delaware, southern New Jersey and the eastern half of Pennsylvania. Its annual donation rate ranks among the highest in the world. Since 1974, Gift of Life has coordinated more than 47,000 life-saving organs for transplant, and approximately one million tissue transplants have resulted from the generosity of donors and their families. One organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people, and a tissue donor can improve the lives of more than 75 others. For more information or to register, visit donors1.org.
ABOUT DONATE LIFE PENNSYLVANIA: Donate Life Pennsylvania is a collaborative initiative between the Pennsylvania departments of Health, Education and Transportation and Pennsylvania’s two organ procurement organizations, the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) and Gift of Life Donor Program (GOL). It is funded by residents of Pennsylvania through voluntary contributions included with driver’s license renewals, vehicle registrations and state income tax filings or direct check donations to the Governor Robert P. Casey Memorial Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Trust Fund in care of the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Trust Fund contributions are used to educate Pennsylvanians, build awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation, and increase the number of people who sign up to become organ donors on their driver's license or state identification card. More information is available at www.donatelifepa.org or www.facebook.com/DonateLifePennsylvania.
# # #
2019