Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) has once again been recognized for "championing" organ and tissue donation.
Ontario Health's Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN), an organ and tissue donation and transplantation agency, has honoured the hospital group for its outstanding efforts to integrate organ and tissue donation into quality end-of-life care. CKHA was presented with the Provincial Conversion Rate Award and Award of Excellence during Ontario Health’s Hospital Performance Awards web broadcast on Tuesday.
CKHA said Chatham-Kent ranks 54 out of 170 communities in Ontario with a registration rate of 50 per cent.
“Since 2012, CKHA has worked closely with TGLN to put best practices in place that support our commitment to organ and tissue donation. With their support, and the leadership of CKHA’s organ donation committee, our staff and physicians have demonstrated a continuous commitment to integrating donation into quality end-of-life care,” said CKHA President and CEO Lori Marshall. “I want to congratulate our team on this significant achievement. We are very proud to have earned these awards and look forward to continuing our work to save and improve lives through organ and tissue donation.”
In 2020/2021, CKHA noted it surpassed the provincial target conversion rate of 63 per cent and converted 100 per cent of patients who died in the hospital and were medically suitable for donation into actual donors to save lives.
The other award was for excellence in meeting or exceeding the provincial target for its conversion rate or routine notification rate for four or more consecutive years.
This is CKHA’s fourth consecutive year meeting or exceeding the provincial conversion rate and first Award of Excellence.
“CKHA has made an outstanding contribution to organ and tissue donation in Ontario and this award is a reflection of that important work,” said Ontario Health Chief Nursing Executive and Clinical Institutes and Quality Programs Executive Judy Linton. “The collaboration and partnership Ontario Health (TGLN) has with our hospitals is critical to saving lives and we are so appreciative of their ongoing commitment."
More than 1,500 people are on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant, and every three days someone will die waiting, according to Ontario Health. The agency also noted that over 90 per cent of Ontarians support donation, but only 35 per cent have formally registered their consent for organ and tissue donation.
One donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and enhance the lives of up to 75 more through tissue donation.
Visit www.beadonor.ca to register or find out more about organ and tissue donation.
