Ending the Wait Awards Honor Five Colorado Hospitals for organ and tissue donation efforts

Denver Health, Swedish Medical Center, Boulder Community Health, Parker Adventist Hospital and Montrose Memorial Hospital were recognized with Ending the Wait awards for their outstanding achievements in facilitating the gift of life through organ and tissue donation in Colorado. The awards, now in their tenth year, are presented annually by Donor Alliance, the federally-designated organ procurement organization serving Colorado, and the Colorado Hospital Association (CHA).

“Right now, nearly 2,500 people in Colorado are waiting on a lifesaving transplant and thousands more are waiting for tissue grafts. The leadership and organizational commitment of these hospitals had and continues to have an impact on ending their wait,” said Sue Dunn, president and CEO of Donor Alliance. “We are honored to partner with and publicly recognize the exemplary work of these Colorado hospitals who continue to lead the way in helping to advance our mission of saving lives through organ and tissue donation.”

Denver Health accepts their Ending the Wait Award from Colorado Hospital Association CEO Steven Sumner and Donor Alliance COO Jennifer Prinz.

Last year, 16 organ donors from Denver Health donated 49 organs that were transplanted to save lives locally and across the country. Swedish Medical Center and Boulder Community Health led the way in tissue donation in 2017. The lives of more than 8,700 recipients were saved or healed thanks to 116 tissue donors from Swedish Medical Center. At Boulder Community Health, 29 tissue donors helped more than 2,100 recipients.

Parker Adventist Hospital earned recognition for its efforts to fulfill a registered donor’s wishes surrounding organ and tissue donation. Montrose Memorial Hospital was also honored for its dedication to fulfilling a family’s wishes for a loved one to become an organ and tissue donor.

“The coordinated efforts of Donor Alliance and Colorado hospitals result in saved and improved lives for countless patients and their families,” said Steven J. Summer, president and CEO of the Colorado Hospital Association. “CHA is proud to once again partner with Donor Alliance to recognize those hospital leaders and clinicians whose actions improve the well-being of our patients and communities.”

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

Boulder Community Hospital accepts their Ending the Wait award at the Colorado Hospital Association Annual Meeting

Each donor has the potential to save up to eight lives through organ donation and save and heal more than 75 through the gift of tissue donation. Last year, 407 lives were saved through organ transplantation thanks to 144 selfless organ donors from our area. A record 1,752 tissue donors provided healing tissue to thousands in need.

At the close of 2017, 68 percent of Colorado’s licensed drivers and ID card holders had joined the organ and tissue donor registry. However, with nearly 2,500 people in Colorado currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, Donor Alliance and CHA know there is still more work to be done.

To register to be an organ and tissue donor, please visit DonateLifeColorado.org or call 303-329-4747 for more information.

About the Colorado Hospital Association

The Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) represents more than 100 member hospitals and health systems throughout Colorado. CHA partners with its members to work towards health reform, clinical excellence and performance improvement, and provides advocacy and representation at the state and federal level. Colorado hospitals and health systems are committed to providing coverage and access to safe, high-quality and affordable health care. In addition, Colorado hospitals have a tremendous impact on the state’s economic stability and growth, contributing to nearly every community across the state with 75,000 employees statewide. For more information, visit www.cha.com.

About Donor Alliance

Donor Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. As the organ and tissue procurement agency for Colorado and most of Wyoming, Donor Alliance serves more than 5.8 million residents and more than 100 hospitals.

Donor Alliance adheres to the highest medical, regulatory and ethical standards, and meets every performance standard. By 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, Donor Alliance is able to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. 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. For more information visit DonorAlliance.org or the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming Facebook pages.

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