Cobertura Reciente en los Medios

Fact or Fiction: Do TV shows accurately portray organ, eye and tissue donation?

Before Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Doctor, there was ER and House M.D. For years, hospital and police dramas have been a prime-time television staple. While most popular TV series consult with real medical professionals to be able to realistically represent health-related storylines, that doesn’t always mean it’s medically accurate.

TV dramas can only handle so much reality before it removes the tension and suspense. After all, many of us are watching these shows to escape reality for an hour or two. We may know it’s all made-for-TV fiction, but over the years writers have become better at vividly showing stories that mimic real-life situations, and it can have an impact on people’s perceptions—or in the case of organ, eye and tissue donation—their decision to register as a donor.

Among other inaccuracies, TV shows often incorrectly portray or perpetuate myths about organ, eye and tissue donation. Last week, in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy it showed the doctors being involved in making decisions about organ allocation and donor authorization as standard procedure. In reality, the fact is the medical team working to save a patient’s life is completely separate from the team that approaches the family to talk about donation.

Completely accurate or not, watching medical scenarios does start conversation and raise awareness. We are always in favor of mainstream media sharing both fictional and non-fictional stories about organ and tissue donation to raise questions and start discussions. If you see something that makes you curious as to whether or not it is true, do your research and share it with others. It is through educating ourselves and others about the real facts where knowledge can grow.

Staff Spotlight: Valerie Toth

We’re so proud to work with each and every one of our staff members here at Donor Alliance. In our Staff Spotlight, we like to take a minute to let you learn more about who we are and why we work at Donor Alliance.

[caption id="attachment_15533" align="alignright" width="379"] Valerie Toth - Quality Assurance Coordinator[/caption]

Name: Valerie Toth

Position: Quality Assurance Coordinator

Years at Donor Alliance: 6 years

Why you chose to work at Donor Alliance: Besides always being a supporter of tissue and organ donation, I wanted to know that the work I do is positively contributing to the community.

Why do you like working at Donor Alliance: Most importantly is the mission of saving lives through organ and tissue donation and having the opportunity to hear about the impact we make. I also love the culture within the organization as well as the team I get to work with on a daily basis.

What does donation and transplantation mean to you: To me, donation means a final act of kindness and generosity, while transplantation means hope and life.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working (hobbies and such): When I’m not at work I’m chasing after a very active toddler and preparing for him to be a big brother this spring! I also consider myself to be an ice cream enthusiast. My husband might say I spend my time thinking of home improvement projects.

Advocate Spotlight: Elissa Flaumenhaft

Donor Alliance volunteers and advocates are the heart and soul of our efforts to inspire and inform our community about the importance of registering as organ, eye and tissue donors in Colorado and Wyoming. Each of our volunteers and advocates has their own unique and inspiring story to tell. This month, we are featuring Elissa Flaumenhaft , a Donor Granddaughter.

[caption id="attachment_15516" align="alignright" width="278"] Elissa Flaumenhaft - Donor Daughter[/caption]

Favorite Memory volunteering for Donor Alliance? T-shirt sorting for Donor Dash this year - I met so many interesting people with powerful stories to share.

Last book you read or movie you saw? Would you recommend it? I most recently read "Candy Corn Murder" by Leslie Meier. I am the biggest fan of cozy mysteries, so I definitely would recommend it.

If you could be any animal, what would you choose and why? I'd be a dog. You will not find a more loyal, less judgmental creature. They are so loving and gentle. I have two rescue dogs and despite all they've been through, they are the sweetest animals. Plus, they get to sleep and eat all day - sounds pretty nice to me!

What is the best event you’ve volunteered at with Donor Alliance? Donor Dash is a huge hit with my family members and friends, so I'd have to go with Donor Dash.

If you could have lunch with anyone, who would you choose? My mom. She lives over 1,000 miles away (in Cincinnati) and she's one of my best friends. Even though I talk to her on the phone every day, nothing beats an in-person conversation and one of her hugs.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? From the first day of my very first job, onward, my dad has always reminded me of this: Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Donor Alliance: 2017 Year in Review

For Donor Alliance, 2017 was another remarkable year for organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Colorado and Wyoming with an incredible 407 lives saved through organ donation and transplantation. Donor Alliance also worked with a record 1,752 tissue donors and their families to recover the lifesaving and healing tissue that will provide bone and skin grafts to thousands of recipients in need.

We're just as excited to announce that 984,557 names in Colorado and 80,405 names in Wyoming were added to the organ and tissue donor registries in 2017. The donor designation rate, or percentage of individuals joining the state donor registry, reached 67.98 percent in Colorado and 58.58 percent in Wyoming. The two states maintained some of the highest donor designation rates in the country.

“We are inspired by the generosity of the 144 donors and their families in Colorado and Wyoming who helped save the lives of 407 people last year,” said Sue Dunn, Donor Alliance president and CEO. “We are also grateful to all of the residents throughout our region that have made the decision to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. The strong donor designation rates in our region translate to more lives saved and healed through transplantation.”

The region saw another record-setting year for tissue donation and transplantation, including bone, joint restoration, skin and heart valves. Working with the families of 1,752 generous tissue donors in 2017, enough tissue was recovered to save and heal the lives of tens of thousands in need, through procedures such as coronary bypass, knee reconstruction and spinal fusion. As medical technology advances and eligibility criteria expand, it has become possible to utilize more types of tissue, which has allowed more people to give the gift of life through tissue donation. Additionally, Colorado and Wyoming’s increasing number of registered donors has translated into more tissue available for transplant.

In addition to the increase in tissue donors, Donor Alliance, which manages the complex medical process of recovering organs and tissue for transplant, facilitated organ recoveries from 144 donors in 2017, the highest number ever, helping make 407 lifesaving transplants possible.

According to the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank, the nonprofit organization that facilitates the donation and transplantation of donated eye tissues in Colorado and Wyoming, there were 2,687 eye donors in the two-state area. The donations resulted in 2,692 sight-restoring corneal transplants. The numbers represent a 32 percent increase in eye tissue donations and a 31 percent increase in corneal transplants from just five years ago in 2012 and are an all-time high in the eye bank’s 35 year history.

Despite the generosity of donor family members and the efforts of Donor Alliance staff and partner organizations, just over 2,500 people in the area continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant. For more information about donation, or to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor, please visit DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

About Donor Alliance

Donor Alliance is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. As the organ procurement organization and accredited tissue bank for Colorado and most of Wyoming, Donor Alliance serves more than 5.8 million residents and more than 100 hospitals. The organization adheres to medical, regulatory and ethical standards: respectfully working with the families of organ and tissue donors, maintaining partnerships with hospitals, educating residents on the life-saving benefits of donation and inspiring them to sign up on the state’s donor registry. Colorado and Wyoming boast some of the highest rates of donor registration in the country, which directly translates to more lives saved and healed through organ and tissue transplantation.

Donor Alliance is one of 58 federally designated organizations of its kind in the United States, and is also an American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) accredited tissue bank.

Donate Life Rose Parade Float Wins Theme Award

Celebrating its 15th anniversary delivering the message of the power of organ, eye and tissue donation, the Donate Life Rose Parade Float took home a prestigious Tournament of Roses Parade Theme Award for exhibiting the most outstanding presentation of the Rose Parade theme of "Making a Difference". Featuring over 14,000 roses and flowers from all around the world, as well as leaves, spices and other organic materials, the Donate Life Float themed "Gift of Time" raised awareness for the nearly 120,000 Americans waiting for a life-saving transplant. We were proud to have kidney recipient and Transplantation Science educator Jeff Leone representing us in this year's parade!

[gallery ids="15254,15256,15253,15258,15251,15252,15255,15257,15259"]

2017 Rose Parade Float Rider – Jeff Leone

[caption id="attachment_15193" align="alignleft" width="440"] Some current and former Transplantation Science students gave Jeff a special sendoff following one of his classes at Denver Center for International Studies[/caption]

This year, we are honored to have Jeff Leone represent us at the 129^th Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA. Jeff is traveling from Denver to escort the 15^th annual Donate Life Rose Parade float on January 1. Jeff will be joined by 24 other individuals from around the country whose lives have also been impacted by donation and transplantation. The 2018 Donate Life float will inspire viewers worldwide to save and heal lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.

A bruised kidney in 1984 led Jeff to the doctor where he eventually learned he had kidney disease. Twelve years later, he entered end-stage kidney failure and began dialysis. In 1999 Jeff received his first transplant. Jeff’s donor was Christopher Mendoza. His mother, Lena, had respected her son’s wishes to donate his organs after he was tragically killed in a car accident. Christopher’s gift allowed Jeff to fulfill his dream of becoming a high school science teacher – a career he enjoyed in the Denver public school system for 13 years until he again approached end-stage kidney failure.

Even though she had not previously met the requirements, Jeff’s wife Robyn was a suitable match for his second transplant thanks to advances in medical technology. She gave him a kidney in 2013. Since his second transplant, Jeff fulfills his passion for science and teaching as a Transplantation Science Educator – he teaches the science behind and importance of donation and transplantation to thousands of young people across Colorado and Wyoming each year.

The 129th Rose Parade will start at 8 a.m. PST on January 1, 2018 and be broadcast live in the U.S. by broadcast partners ABC, NBC, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, Univision and more. Check local broadcast listings for more information. For more information about the 2017 Teammates in Life Donate Life Rose Parade Float, visit http://www.donatelifefloat.org.

Colorado and Wyoming residents can register their decision to be donors by saying ‘yes’ each time they obtain or renew a driver license or state ID, or at www.DonateLifeColorado.org or www.DonateLifeWyoming.org anytime.

Finding Triumph in Tragedy: Honoring My Sons Gift of Life

Join me in raising awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation this holiday season as I honor my son's gift of life.

By Kelli Jantz, Donor Mother

I lost my son when he was just 14 years old. Jake was my youngest and loved the things that many teenage boys do: sports, playing X-Box and hanging out with his friends and family. A football fanatic and member of his high school team, Jake would get up at 5:45 a.m., a full hour and fifteen minutes before the rest of his friends, to prepare for his football games.

In September 2004, Jake was playing in a football game when he collapsed. He was airlifted to an area medical center, having sustained a serious head injury that caused massive swelling of his brain. After many hours of watching and waiting, our worst nightmare came true: Jake’s brain could not survive the injury.

As a transplant coordinator, I have helped potential organ recipients for decades. That day, I found myself facing my friends and colleagues from a perspective I never anticipated. We were the donor family this time, experiencing the grief and tragedy that I had witnessed so many other families go through over the years.

Though I had never had a specific discussion with Jake about organ donation, he knew what a tremendous gift it represented. He was an incredibly generous, kind and giving individual who always looked out for others. That made our decision to donate his organs very natural, as it would have been what he truly wanted: to offer the gift of life to someone else.

This year, I am proud to be marching in Denver’s Annual 9NEWS Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 2 to honor Jake and escort the Donate Life Colorado “Gift of Life” balloon surrounded by others who have been touched by donation and transplantation. I invite the Denver community to attend the parade to cheer me on, or tune in to watch for me on TV.

In sharing Jake’s story, I am hopeful that it will help to inspire others to say “yes” to organ, eye and tissue donation. DonateLifeColorado.org is a great resource with the facts you need to make an informed decision about donation and to register as a donor online. You can also register while obtaining a driver license or state ID.

Coroner’s Corner: Q&A With Albany Co. WY Coroner Jennifer Graham

Advocate Spotlight: Judy Thompson

[caption id="attachment_15113" align="alignright" width="264"] Judy Thompson - Donor Mother[/caption]

Donor Alliance volunteers and advocates are the heart and soul of our efforts to inspire and inform our community about the importance of registering as organ, eye and tissue donors in Colorado and Wyoming. Each of our volunteers and advocates has their own unique and inspiring story to tell. This month, we are featuring Judy Thompson, a Donor Mother.

What has been your favorite thing about volunteering with Donor Alliance: My favorite thing about volunteering for Donor Alliance is that it provides me the opportunity to connect with people heart to heart sharing stories and experiences surrounding donation and coming together to help save lives.

If you could meet anyone for lunch or coffee, who would you like to meet and why: If I could meet anyone for coffee or lunch I would love to meet Chip and Joann a Gaines! It is not their fame that intrigues me but the incredible sense of family, faith,community and hard work and their ability to have such a positive impact on so many levels.

What kinds of things do you like to do for fun: I LOVE to practice yoga , hike, rescue dogs....the big ones!, travel and spend time with my 4 grand-kids!

If you could take an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you go: If I could have an all expense vacation it would absolutely be a photographic site-seeing safari in Africa!

What is your proudest accomplishment: The accomplishment I am most proud of would be the creation of a non-profit Take Jake in honor of my son Jacob Thompson.We have (with a lot of hard work of many) been able to make a positive impact within our community touching hearts and lives just as Jake always did. We are continuing to grow and each year we are able to do more and more for others!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given: The best piece of advice I ever received was......"Just Breathe "

What song would you sing at karaoke night: The song I would most likely sing at karaoke is Pour some sugar on me by Def Leopard hands down!! It's my jam! I usually break out singing it whenever and wherever it comes on!

Staff Spotlight: Joyleen Helcoski

[caption id="attachment_15107" align="alignright" width="306"] Joyleen Helcoski - Aftercare Coordinator[/caption]

We’re so proud to work with each and every one of our staff members here at Donor Alliance. In our Staff Spotlight, we like to take a minute to let you learn more about who we are and why we work at Donor Alliance.

Name: Joyleen Helcoski

Position: Aftercare Coordinator

Years at Donor Alliance: 5 years in January!

Tell us a little bit about your role here at Donor Alliance: As the Aftercare Coordinator, I provide support to donor families after donation. This includes follow up, providing grief counseling resources, and facilitating correspondence between donor families and recipients.

Favorite thing about working at Donor Alliance: Working with our incredible donor families. I am constantly reminded of people's kindness and strength in the midst of tragedy and heartbreak.

When you're not working, what do you like to do for fun: Hiking, skiing, reading, going to the theater, spending time with my family and my dog.

If you could take an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you go: Europe-anywhere in Europe!

What is your proudest accomplishment: My two amazing kids.

What song would you sing on karaoke night: You will never find me singing karaoke! What do I sing in the car, with the windows rolled up? Anything but country.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given: Be prepared to let go of dreams, hopes and expectations. Be ready to replace them with different dreams, hopes and expectations.

Broncos Coach Takes Donate Life Message to the Field

Denver Broncos Coach Eric Studesville is showing his support for organ, eye and tissue donation by wearing these custom Donate Life Colorado shoes when the Broncos take on the Miami Dolphins in December 3rd. It's part of the NFL's "My Cause, My Cleats" initiative designed to raise awareness for causes close to the players and coaches hearts. We're so lucky to have someone as generous as Coach Studesville on the Donor Alliance team! Good luck on Sunday coach!

Donor Alliance honored for best practices in Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award categories

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross recognized Donor Alliance, the federally designated not-for-profit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming, for best practices within the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award categories of Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management (category 4) and Operations (category 6).

[caption id="attachment_15047" align="alignright" width="300"] Donor Alliance's 2017 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award application resulted in recognition in the areas of knowledge and process management.[/caption]

Today's announcement of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winners included acknowledgement for best practices in the Baldrige Criteria categories by organizations that are candidates for the award but were not selected as winners.

"This is a culmination of seven years of concentrated effort to improve our organization’s overall effectiveness in maximizing donation and transplantation. We are thrilled with the recognition and plan to continue striving for operational and organizational success, which is crucial to the lifesaving work we do,” said Sue Dunn, president and CEO of Donor Alliance. “We are mission-driven, and our employees and relationships with partners are at the center of all our interactions, helping us to achieve this great accomplishment.”

The 2017 Baldrige Awards will be presented at an April 2018 ceremony during the Baldrige Program’s 30th annual Quest for Excellence® conference, which will be held in Baltimore, MD.

The Baldrige Program raises awareness about the importance of performance excellence in driving the U.S. and global economies; provides organizational assessments, training, tools and criteria; educates leaders in businesses, schools, health care organizations and government and nonprofit organizations; shares the best practices of national role models; and recognizes those role models with the Baldrige Award. The Baldrige Program is a public-private partnership managed by NIST and funded in part through user fees, with some support from the Baldrige Foundation.

The Baldrige Award was established by Congress in 1987 and is not given for specific products or services. Since the first group was recognized in 1988, 118 awards have been presented to 110 organizations (including eight repeat winners).