The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) has received an award for its work to convince people to donate their organs and tissue.
CKHA was recognized by the Trillium Gift of Life Network, Ontario’s organ and tissue donation and transplantation agency, on Wednesday. The award is granted to organizations that meet or exceed TGLN’s target of a 63 per cent conversion rate, which represents the percentage of potential organ donors that went on to become actual donors. In 2019/20, CKHA achieved a 100 per cent conversion rate for the second year in a row.
“As a designated Trillium Gift of Life Network hospital since 2012, we appreciate the outstanding support TGLN always provides us. This is a significant contributing factor to our success in organ donation over the years,” said Lisa Northcott, Vice President of People and Chief Nursing Executive of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance. “Our staff and physicians, along with the leadership of CKHA’s organ donation committee, are to be congratulated and commended for their continuous efforts to integrate donation into quality end-of-life care.”
CKHA is among 30 hospitals across the province recognized for that achievement.
“Chatham-Kent Health Alliance has made an outstanding contribution to organ and tissue donation in Ontario and this award is a reflection of that important work,” said Ronnie Gavsie, President and CEO of Trillium Gift of Life Network. “The collaboration and partnership we have with our hospitals is critical to saving lives. Every Ontarian can play a part by registering to donate at BeADonor.ca. Now is the time to think about what we can do to protect the health of others, and this includes saving more lives through donation.”
Currently, the waitlist for a lifesaving organ transplant in Ontario is more than 1,600 people. According to the CKHA, someone in Ontario dies every three days while waiting for an organ transplant. It says over 90 per cent of Ontarians support donation, but only 35 per cent have formally registered their consent for organ and tissue donation. The CKHA said neither age nor health prevents someone from becoming a donor. It added every potential donor is assessed at the time of death for medical suitability and donations are only considered after all life-saving efforts are exhausted, there is no chance of recovery, and the family accepts the diagnosis of death. One organ donor can save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of up to 75 more.
Registering consent to donate also makes a family aware of the donor's decision to save lives. Visit www.beadonor.ca to register or find more information. Chatham-Kent also exceeds the provincial average of registered organ donors with a registration rate of 50 per cent and ranks 46 out of 170 communities across Ontario.