HonorBridge was among a select group of organ procurement organizations (OPOs) recognized nationally for partnering with hospitals in its service area to promote enrollment in North Carolina’s organ donor registry through a national campaign called the Workplace Partnership for Life Hospital Campaign. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) resulting in the addition of 400,000 donor enrollments to state registries nationwide since 2011.
This campaign is a special effort to mobilize the nation’s hospitals to increase the number of people in the country registered as organ, eye and tissue donors. By uniting donation advocates at hospitals with representatives from local OPOs, Donate Life America affiliates, and state and regional hospital associations, the teams work together to leverage their communications resources and outreach efforts to most effectively spread the word about the critical need for donors. “Hospitals shared information about the critical need for donation and transplantation with their own staff and also the general community in an effort to raise awareness,” said Lora Smitherman, Manager of Hospital Services for HonorBridge.
In North Carolina, nearly 3,000 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant, and nationally, over 120,000 people are on the organ waiting list. Sadly, 8,000 people die each year – 22 people each day – due to the lack of available organs. A single donor can save or enhance the lives of more than 50 people.
HonorBridge supported hospitals throughout the campaign by providing a variety of resources and tools in order to assist their partners in their donation education efforts and registration activities. Hospitals earned points for each activity implemented between May 2015 and April 2016 and were awarded platinum, gold, silver, or bronze recognition, accordingly.
In HonorBridge’s service area, the following 39 hospitals and transplant centers received recognition:
- Carolina East Medical Center – Platinum
- Carteret Healthcare – Platinum
- Duke University Medical Center – Platinum
- Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital – Platinum
- New Hanover Regional Medical Center – Platinum
- Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center – Platinum
- Randolph Hospital – Platinum
- Rex Healthcare – Platinum
- UNC Hospitals – Platinum
- Vidant Beaufort Hospital – Platinum
- Vidant Bertie Hospital – Platinum
- Vidant Chowan Hospital – Platinum
- Vidant Medical Center – Platinum
- Watauga Medical Center – Platinum
- Cape Fear Valley Health System – Gold
- Danville Regional Medical Center – Gold
- Duke Regional Hospital – Gold
- Frye Regional Medical Center – Gold
- Nash Health Care Systems – Gold
- Vidant Edgecombe Hospital – Gold
- Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center – Gold
- Wilson Medical Center – Gold
- Alamance Regional Medical Center – Silver
- Catawba Valley Medical Center – Silver
- FirstHealth Moore Regional – Hoke Campus – Silver
- FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital – Silver
- FirstHealth Richmond Memorial Hospital – Silver
- Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital – Silver
- Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center – Silver
- Outer Banks Hospital, The – Silver
- Southeastern Regional Medical Center – Silver
- UNC Hospitals Hillsborough? Campus – Silver
- Vidant Duplin Hospital – Silver
- Wayne Memorial Hospital Silver
- Wesley Long Community Hospital Silver
- Charles A Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital – Bronze
- Duke Raleigh Hospital – Bronze
- Onslow Memorial Hospital – Bronze
- Sentara Albemarle Medical Center – Bronze
“HonorBridge is very fortunate to have hospital partners, such as these hospitals, who collaborate with us in conducting education about donation and transplantation. Because of their efforts, lives are being saved,” said Lloyd Jordan, President/CEO of HonorBridge.
