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January 14, 2010
Marquette General Honored by US HHS for Organ Donation Efforts
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Organ Transplantation Breakthrough Collaborative recently recognized Marquette General Hospital with a National Medal of Honor for their work to improve organ donation rates. Representatives of MGH were honored at a ceremony in Madison, Wisc., in November 2009. MGH was among 428 hospitals in the country that received this national honor.
The National Medal Of Honor was presented to staff at Marquette General Health System at a ceremony held recently in Madison, Wisc. Pictured from left are: Dr. Anthony D'Allassandro, medical director of UW OPO; Chris Klugg, olympic snowboard bronze medallist, who received a liver transplant 18 months prior to the Olympics; Joe Ackerman, RN, MGHS ICU/CCU; Shelley Prekop, RN, MGHS ICU/CCU; Kim Grutt, RN, MGHS ICU/CCU; Kary Sheldon, RN, MGHS ICU/CCU; Meagan Spaulding, RN, MGHS ICU/CCU, and Eric Mathias, RN, MGHS ICU/CCU.
To receive this recognition, hospitals must achieve a 75 percent donation rate, meaning that at MGH, at least three-fourths of the people eligible to be an organ donor became one. The average in the UW Health service area was 88 percent. The national average is just 71 percent.
The UW Health Organ Procurement Organization (OPO), which provides donation services at MGH, had 12 hospitals in its federally designated service area that were eligible to receive the Medal of Honor. For the second consecutive year, all 12 hospitals received medals.
In Michigan, more than 2,900 people are currently on the organ waiting list.
“Organ donors and their families are heroes. At the darkest moment of their lives, donor families have the courage and strength of character to give the gift of life and save people they’ve never met. This is the definition of heroism,” said Gail Brandly, organ donation liaison and nursing supervisor at Marquette General.
Brandly emphasized that the staff at Marquette General are committed to saving lives, but in situations where the injuries are too extensive, the option for organ and tissue donation can provide a degree of comfort.
“We provide support to these families and facilitate organ donation,” said Brandly. “The process is emotionally exhausting but it provides the opportunity for something good to come out of a tragic situation. Not only are the lives of the donor recipients saved, but the donor’s family is also helped through the grieving process.”
Brandly added that the success of organ donation efforts is only attainable with sustained teamwork among the staff from the intensive care unit, the emergency department, hospital supervisors, pastoral care, the operating room, the respiratory care department, social work, and numerous others who support and take care of the whole family as well as the patient.
For anyone interested in organ donation, Brandly emphasized the importance of communicating their wishes to loved ones, marking the back of their driver’s license, and including organ donation in an Advanced Directive or Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare.
For information on organ donation, visit the www.mgh.org/life.
Community presentations on organ donation are also available by contacting the Marquette General Hospital Nursing Office at (906) 225-3460 or (800) 562-9753, extension 3460.
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