2016 Ending the Wait Awards Honor Colorado Hospitals for Organ and Tissue Donation Achievements

University of Colorado Hospital, Penrose Hospital, McKee Medical Center and Avista Adventist Hospital were recognized with Ending the Wait awards today for their outstanding achievements in facilitating the gift of life through organ and tissue donation in Colorado. The awards, now in their eighth year, are presented annually by Donor Alliance and the Colorado Hospital Association (CHA).

The organizations created the awards to recognize the commitment of Colorado hospitals, medical centers and healthcare professionals to saving lives through organ and tissue donation. The selections are based on hospital size, trauma center designation, total number of donors and organs transplanted and are awarded annually to hospitals that demonstrate extraordinary efforts in organ and tissue donation.

Last year, organ donors from Penrose Hospital donated more than four organs per donor, which resulted in 30 lives saved through organ transplantation in 2015. University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) has long been a leader in organ and tissue donation and transplantation. UCH led the way in tissue donation for a facility of its size with 96 tissue donors in 2015, a 48 percent increase over the previous year. McKee Medical Center is being honored for its hand in helping 22 tissue donors fulfill their wishes to help others. Avista Adventist Hospital also earned recognition for its dedication to fulfilling family wishes surrounding organ and tissue donation.

Each donor has the potential to save up to eight lives through organ donation and save and heal more than 50 through the gift of tissue donation. There are currently nearly 2,700 people in Colorado waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. To register to be an organ and tissue donor, please visit DonateLifeColorado.org or call 303-329-4747 for more information.