GREATER DELAWARE VALLEY SOCIETY OF TRANSPLANT SURGEONS

MISSION STATEMENT: GIFT OF LIFE DONOR PROGRAM REMAINS DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS AWAITING TRANSPLANTATION BY MAXIMIZING THE AVAILABILITY OF DONOR ORGANS AND TISSUES WHILE UPHOLDING THE HIGHEST MEDICAL, LEGAL, ETHICAL, AND FISCAL STANDARDS. TO ACHIEVE ITS MISSION, GIFT OF LIFE WILL- WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE REGION'S HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS TO ENSURE THAT THE FAMILY OF EVERY POTENTIAL DONOR IS OFFERED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION IN A COMPASSIONATE, TIMELY, INFORMATIVE, AND CARING MANNER. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O.- PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND MATERIALS TO POSITIVELY PREDISPOSE ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION SO THAT THE DONATION IS VIEWED AS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY. - SERVE AS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE BY PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES OF DONORS AS WELL AS TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND - SERVE AS A LEADER IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION. GIFT OF LIFE DONOR PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE INITIATIVES OF ITS AFFILIATES TRANSPLANT FOUNDATION AND GIFT OF LIFE HOWIE'S HOUSE. TRANSPLANT FOUNDATION PROVIDES ONGOING COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND GRANT PROGRAMS, AND THE PROGRAMMING FOR DONATION PROFESSIONALS THROUGH ITS GIFT OF LIFE INSTITUTE. GIFT OF LIFE HOWIE'S HOUSE, A RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE-TYPE SETTING, WHERE FAMILIES OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING TRANSPLANTS AT THE TRANSPLANT CENTERS IN THE PHILADELPHIA REGION ARE ACCOMMODATED NEAR THE SITE OF THE SURGERY AND FOR FOLLOW-UP VISITS. IN 2023, THE GIFT OF LIFE HOWIE'S HOUSE PROVIDED 8,855 LODGING NIGHTS OF CARE TO TRANSPLANT PATIENTS AND FAMILIES, SERVED OVER 31,776 MEALS TO FAMILIES THROUGH THE HOME COOK HEROES PROGRAM, ACCUMULATED 1,943 HOURS OF SUPPORT FROM IN-HOUSE VOLUNTEERS, AND PROVIDED 1,307 TRIPS TO AND FROM AREA HOSPITALS TRANSPORTING 3,268 GUESTS, DRIVING 12,844 MILES. VARIOUS RESOURCES FOR TRANSPLANT FAMILIES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE TO ALLOW FOR FULL REGIONAL ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND SERVICES. GIFT OF LIFE HOWIE'S HOUSE SERVES AS A PHYSICAL REMINDER OF THE CRITICAL NEED FOR LIFE-SAVING ORGANS FOR TRANSPLANT.GIFT OF LIFE'S PRIMARY EXEMPT PURPOSE IS TO COORDINATE ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATIONS, AND WORK WITH 126 AREA ACUTE CARE HOSPITALS AND 12 TRANSPLANT CENTERS TO SUPPORT ALLOCATION OF THOSE GIFTS TO THE MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE IN THE GIFT OF LIFE REGION ON THE TRANSPLANT WAITING LIST. BEYOND ITS CLINICAL WORK, GIFT OF LIFE IS CHARGED WITH EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY ABOUT DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION, URGING THOSE WHO HAVE NOT DONE SO TO DESIGNATE THEMSELVES AS ORGAN AND TISSUE DONORS. ORGAN DONATIONGIFT OF LIFE'S TEAM, CONSISTING OF OVER 329 FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME CLINICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL, SERVES 12 REGIONAL TRANSPLANT CENTERS WHERE HEART, KIDNEY, LIVER, LUNG AND PANCREAS TRANSPLANTS ARE PERFORMED. IN GIFT OF LIFE'S REGION, MORE THAN 5,000 MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARE AWAITING A LIFE-SAVING TRANSPLANT.GIFT OF LIFE'S CLINICAL TEAM PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN COORDINATING THE ORGAN DONATION PROCESS, ACTING AS THE VITAL LINK BETWEEN DONORS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND PATIENTS IN NEED OF TRANSPLANTS. UPON HOSPITAL REFERRAL, CLINICAL TEAM MEMBERS PROMPTLY RESPOND ON-SITE TO ASSESS, EVALUATE, AND COORDINATE POTENTIAL DONORS WHILE ALSO INTERACTING WITH FAMILIES AND HOSPITAL STAFF THROUGHOUT THE DONATION PROCESS. IN 2023, GIFT OF LIFE STAFF EVALUATED OVER 41,000 DEATH REFERRALS FOR POTENTIAL ORGAN OR TISSUE DONATION. ADDITIONALLY, GIFT OF LIFE STAFF GENERATES ORGAN TRANSPLANT CANDIDATE LISTINGS ON NATIONAL AND LOCAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND OVERSEES ALLOCATION OF ORGANS. IN 2023, GIFT OF LIFE COORDINATED 1,734 LIFE-SAVING TRANSPLANTS, MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROSITY OF 693 ORGAN DONORS.GIFT OF LIFE'S HOSPITAL SERVICES TEAM PROVIDES EDUCATION AND SUPPORT RELATED TO THE CLINICAL ASPECTS OF ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION TO AREA HOSPITAL PROFESSIONALS. GIFT OF LIFE BUILDS STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH HOSPITALS, PHYSICIANS, AND NURSES, DELIVERING HUNDREDS OF PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN 2023.TISSUE DONATIONIN ADDITION TO ORGAN TRANSPLANTS, A KEY ASPECT OF GIFT OF LIFE'S MISSION IS SUPPORTING TISSUE DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION. GIFT OF LIFE COORDINATES THE RECOVERY OF LIFE-ENHANCING TISSUES, WHICH ARE UTILIZED FOR PATIENTS NEEDING CORNEAS FOR SIGHT-RESTORING PROCEDURES, AS WELL AS SKIN, TISSUE, AND BONE TO REPAIR INJURIES. GIFT OF LIFE TEAM WORKS CLOSELY WITH HOSPITAL TEAMS FOLLOWING A PATIENT'S DEATH TO EVALUATE DONATION OPPORTUNITIES AND COMMUNICATE WITH FAMILIES ABOUT THEIR LOVED ONE'S DECISION REGARDING DONATION, OR TO DISCUSS THE OPTION IF NO PRIOR DECISION WAS MADE. IN 2023, GIFT OF LIFE FACILITATED THE RECOVERY OF TISSUE FROM 2,675 DONORS, INCLUDING 1,433 MUSCULOSKELETAL DONORS AND 2,278 CORNEA DONORS. THESE LIFE-ENHANCING DONATIONS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT OVER 140,000 INDIVIDUALS, OFFERING BONE FOR ORTHOPEDIC AND SPORTS INJURIES, HEART VALVES TO REPAIR LIFE-THREATENING DEFECTS, SKIN FOR RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY AND BURN HEALING, AND CORNEAS TO RESTORE SIGHT.EDUCATIONGIFT OF LIFE'S PUBLIC AWARENESS INITIATIVES SPAN A WIDE RANGE OF EVENTS AND PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND HIGHLIGHT THE LIFE-SAVING IMPACT OF DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION. THE PRIMARY FOCUS IS TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO REGISTER AS ORGAN AND TISSUE DONORS BY ADDING THE DESIGNATION TO THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE OR STATE ID CARD, OR THE DONATE LIFE ONLINE REGISTRY. THIS EFFORT IS ACTIVE ACROSS ALL THREE STATES WITHIN GIFT OF LIFE SERVICE AREA. CURRENTLY, 48% OF LICENSED DRIVERS IN PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES ARE REGISTERED AS DONORS, 41% IN NEW JERSEY, AND 50% IN DELAWARE. GIFT OF LIFE'S GOAL IS TO INCREASE THESE PERCENTAGES, AIMING FOR THE MAJORITY OF LICENSED INDIVIDUALS IN EACH STATE TO BE DESIGNATED AS ORGAN AND TISSUE DONORS.DETAILS ABOUT GIFT OF LIFE'S EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES ARE REGULARLY SHARED THROUGH VARIOUS COLLATERAL MATERIALS, INCLUDING THE GIFT OF LIFE NEWSLETTER, PUBLISHED THREE TIMES A YEAR WITH A CIRCULATION OF OVER 130,000. ADDITIONALLY, A MONTHLY E-NEWS IS EMAILED TO APPROXIMATELY 20,000 SUPPORTERS.GIFT OF LIFE COLLABORATES WITH OVER 600 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO DONATION WHETHER AS TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS, DONORS, OR FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF DONORS AND RECIPIENTS. GIFT OF LIFE PLACES A STRONG EMPHASIS ON EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WITHIN MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITIES, WHERE MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT DONATION ARE OFTEN MORE WIDESPREAD. GIFT OF LIFE ALSO PRIORITIZES BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAITH COMMUNITIES, SEEKING SUPPORT FROM THE DIVERSE HOUSES OF WORSHIP IN THE REGION. GIFT OF LIFE CONTINUED TO PRIORITIZE YOUTH EDUCATION THROUGH BOTH SYNCHRONOUS AND ASYNCHRONOUS VIRTUAL PROGRAMS, ENGAGING 57 SCHOOLS ACROSS DELAWARE, PENNSYLVANIA, AND NEW JERSEY. THESE HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS REACHED 10,221 STUDENTS IN 2023, AIMING TO EDUCATE ADOLESCENTS ABOUT ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION BEFORE THEY ENCOUNTER THE DECISION TO REGISTER AS DONORS. IN 2023, GIFT OF LIFE CONTINUED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OTDA EDUCATION PROJECT, COLLABORATING WITH THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH AND EDUCATION TO INTEGRATE AN ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION TOOLKIT INTO SCHOOL CURRICULA STATEWIDE.IMPLEMENTATION SITES INCLUDED EIGHT SCHOOLS FROM GIFT OF LIFE'S REGION, SELECTED TO RECEIVE GRANTS FOR DEVELOPING COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMS THAT CAN BE REPLICATED STATEWIDE. THE ANNUAL SPRING INSTITUTE BROUGHT TOGETHER OVER 50 EDUCATORS FROM ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES FOR PROMOTING ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULA. ADDITIONALLY, GIFT OF LIFE HOSTED A COLLEGE CHALLENGE, WHERE FOUR OUT OF 18 PARTICIPATING STUDENT GROUPS WERE AWARDED PRIZES FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN ORGANIZING COMMUNICATIONS AND EVENTS TO ENCOURAGE ORGAN DONOR REGISTRATION.