Award of Hope Excellence in Tissue Donation
Pictured: Accepting the Award of Hope for Excellence in Tissue Donation on behalf of Sauk Prairie Healthcare are Belle Koch, David Kussow, Kristin Quayle, Curtis Johnson, Lisa Pickarts, Ashley Vossekuil and Julie Gorman.
Seventeen hospitals are being honored by University of Wisconsin Organ and Tissue Donation (UW OTD) for their ongoing commitment to saving and improving lives through organ and tissue donation.
The UW OTD Award of Hope recognizes the comprehensive work of hospitals that achieve or exceed the goals of two important measures that maximize the gift of life: the true conversion rate (TCR), which measures the percent of medically eligible donors that become actual donors; and organs transplanted per donor (OTPD), which measures the average number of organs recovered from each donor. Hospitals earn a gold, silver or bronze award depending on an OTPD of 3.25 or an Observed/Expected (O/E) rate of 1.2 (bronze), a true conversion rate of at least 75 percent (silver),or meeting both metrics (gold).
The Excellence in Tissue Donation award is given to Versiti tissue-partner hospitals who achieve at least a 60 percent consent rate. This metric measures the collaborative work between the hospital staff and tissue bank in coordinating communication around tissue consent conversations.
The Family Care Award recognizes the comprehensive work of one hospital each year that exemplifies the highest standards of family support during an organ donation case. In order to be eligible for the award, a hospital must demonstrate consistent innovative family support practices, and have at least one outstanding case example of those practices in action from the previous calendar year.
The Donn Dexter Physician Excellence Award recognizes the comprehensive work of one physician exemplifying the highest standards of donation support. To be eligible for the award, a physician must provide care within the UW OTD donation service area, demonstrate consistently supportive medical donation practices, as well as advocate on behalf of organ donor patients and families. This individual is recognized within the healthcare team as a leader and key resource in championing donation causes and overcoming challenges in the donation process.
"The clinical management of donors, coupled with a hospital's compassionate support of donor families, is a critical component to saving lives through the gift of organ donation and transplantation," said Michael Anderson, executive director of UW OTD. "We honor these hospitals and their incredible nursing, physician and critical care teams for working so hard to help ensure that those who are waiting for a transplant will get a second chance at life."
The 2021 award winners include the following institutions and provider:
- Aspirus Wausau Hospital (Wausau, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation + Family Care Award
- Aurora BayCare Medical Center (Green Bay, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- Beloit Memorial Hospital (Beloit, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- Grant Regional Health Center (Lancaster, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- Gundersen Health System – La Crosse (La Crosse, WI), Bronze Award of Hope + Excellence in Tissue Donation
- HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital (Eau Claire, WI), Bronze Award of Hope
- Marshfield Medical Center - Beaver Dam (Beaver Dam, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- Marshfield Medical Center - Weston (Weston, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire (Eau Claire, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital (Prairie Du Sac, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- SSM Health Monroe Clinic (Monroe, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- SSM Health Ripon Community Hospital (Ripon, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital (Fond Du Lac, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital Madison (Madison, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton (Appleton, WI), Bronze Award of Hope
- UnityPoint Health-Meriter (Madison, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- UW Health at University Hospital (Madison, WI), Excellence in Tissue Donation
- Dr. Christine Waller (Gundersen Health System – La Crosse), Dr. Donn Dexter Physician Excellence Award
UW OTD is a federally designated organ procurement organization serving 113 hospitals in Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois.