AOPO Recognizes Sue Dunn for Leadership and Innovative Practices in Donation and Transplantation

At the 2019 Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) conference, our own CEO and President, Sue Dunn, was recognized for her leadership efforts in donation and transplantation with the 2019 Sallop AOPO Excellence in Leadership Award. 

Sue was awarded the honor for her outstanding management achievements and innovative practices in the organ procurement field throughout her 30 years of service to donation and transplantation.

Under Sue’s leadership, our organization has come to stand apart as a leader in the field and has improved the climate for transplant patients in Colorado and Wyoming. Her significant landmarks have been achieved through ongoing process improvement, relationship management with hospitals throughout our two-state service area, rigorous community education, public relations and advertising efforts, and more.

In 2018, Sue was elected as the UNOS President and over the past year has worked with other members to strategically increase the number of transplants, provide equity in access to transplants and improve outcomes for waitlisted patients, living donors and transplant recipients, to name a few.

She has also led the charge in the organization, enacting a number of innovative processes last year that supported the increase in lives saved. These advancements included the facilitation of the first donor under the HOPE Act (meeting HIV+ criteria) in our service area and the implementation of a CT scanner to help maximize the gift of life by allowing a single liver to be transplanted into two donors.

Congratulations to Sue for this well-deserved honor!