At mid-year, HonorBridge has coordinated organ and tissue donations from more donors than ever, allowing for more transplants to occur.
This year, through June 30, HonorBridge had 161 deceased organ donors resulting in 432 organs transplanted. This is up 8% from 149 donors during the same period in 2021. In comparison to 2020, HonorBridge’s previous best year, the number of donors has increased by nearly 11%, resulting in more organ transplants to date than ever before. Each transplant marks a life saved thanks to the decisions of heroic donors and their families.
HonorBridge also coordinated a record 1,458 tissue donations, exceeding the 1,355 tissues recovered during the same period last year, and a 4.2% increase in comparison to 2020, HonorBridge’s previous best year. These life-enhancing tissues are used in many common surgical applications to restore mobility, strength, and hope to people with serious or life-threatening medical needs. Patients with severe burns, defective heart valves, bone cancer, breast reconstruction, and torn ligaments or tendons benefit from the gift of donated tissue.
“The increases we are seeing in these precious gifts are a testament to the dedication and diligence of our staff and partners, process improvements, and to the heroes and their families who said ‘yes’ to donation,” said Danielle Bumarch, RN, JD, President & CEO of HonorBridge. “But still, more must be done. Nearly 106,000 men, women, and children are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. The rate of North Carolinians who have registered as donors, 52.5%, is well below the national average of nearly 60%. More registered donors mean more hope, less time waiting, and more lives saved. It’s as simple as signing up at Register as a Donor or saying ‘yes’ to donation at the DMV.”
In collaboration with the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), transplant centers, and other stakeholders, HonorBridge is working to create a more equitable organ donation and transplantation process and improving national system performance. HonorBridge is committed to supporting continuous efforts that help reach the national goal of 50,000 annual organ transplants in 2026.
“Organ donation is rare,” said Bumarch. “While most can be tissue donors at their time of death, less than 1% of hospital deaths result in organ donation. This is why it is paramount that we all bring hope to those who wait by registering to be an organ, eye and tissue donor.”
Additionally, for the second year in a row, HonorBridge was recently named a Best Employer by Business North Carolina.
