Donor Network West Reports Positive Trend On Organ Donor Numbers In The First Quarter Of 2019
The increased trend will enable the organization to save more lives this year
(San Ramon, CA) April 25, 2019 – Donor Network West, the federally designated organ and tissue recovery organization for Northern California and Nevada, recovered organs from 109 individuals in the first three months of 2019, a historic milestone for the organization in the number of donors for a single quarter.
For over 30 years, Donor Network West has connected a donor’s gift to those in need in its donation service area of 45 counties. At this increased trend, the organization is on pace to recover organs from over 400 donor heroes compared to its record of 319 in 2018. The number of organs transplanted is expected to rise from 1,048 last year to over 1,200.
Of the organ donors in the first quarter of 2019, 58% had registered on official donor registries, a testament to the generosity of the donors and their families.
Donor Network West welcomed 2019 with Janice F. Whaley as its new CEO. Ms. Whaley, MPH, CPTC, CTBS arrived on January 1st and brought with her a track record of saving lives through increasing the availability of organs for patients on the transplant waiting list. She previously served as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma, where she achieved five years of consecutive increases in the number of organ donors and organ transplanted, landing it among the top organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States in donation performance.
Prior to her executive leadership role in Oklahoma, Ms. Whaley held leadership and clinical roles in two other OPOs, achieving similar results. As Managing Director of LifeGift’s largest region in Houston, Whaley led Houston to setting a record number of donors. Ms. Whaley’s record of significant improvement in donation will help bring Donor Network West to the next level.
The Donate Life Balloon at the 2017 Great Reno Balloon Race. Photo by Jason Candler, www.candlerphoto.com
“As leaders in the industry, our sole mission is to recover organs and tissues to save lives every day. Our team is core to that mission and we challenge ourselves daily to improve our efforts. We are grateful for the generosity of our donors, families and communities who give so others may have a second chance at life,” says Ms. Whaley.
Donor Network West staff and Donate Life Ambassadors at the blue and green lighting of San Francisco City Hall on 4/12/19. Photo by stimephotography.
Donor Network West serves 175 hospitals and more than 13 million people within 100,000 square miles. The organization works in close partnership with families, doctors, nurses, more than 500 funeral homes and 44 coroners and medical examiners to connect donors to recipients. Anyone can register as a donor at the DMV or at DonorNetworkWest.org.