Salt Lake City, Dec. — LDS Hospital, University of Utah Medical Center, and Primary Children’s Medical Center received a national award for saving lives through organ donation.

LDSH and IMC receive award.

“These fine hospitals were recognized at a national conference in October. Now, it’s our state government’s turn to pay special recognition to these outstanding institutions,” said Liz Roach, director of professional education at Intermountain Donor Services, Utah’s organ recovery agency.

“We have three hospitals in our state that for three years have made a dramatic difference in saving lives through organ donation," she said. "That is worth celebrating.”

PCMC receives award.

In October, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) honored 371 of the nation’s largest hospitals for substantially raising the organ donation rates of eligible donors from their facilities.

Executives of the hospitals, together with their partners in 57 organ procurement organizations (OPOs), received the Department’s Medals of Honor for Organ Donation during a meeting in New Orleans of the Third National Learning Congress on Organ Donation and Transplantation.

UofU receives award.

Hospitals and OPOs were cited for achieving and sustaining a donation rate of 75 percent or more of eligible donors.

By contrast, the national average donation rate in all hospitals was 59 percent in 2005, up from 55 percent in 2004. OPOs coordinate organ procurement in designated service areas and work to preserve organs and arrange for their distribution according to national policies.

Hospitals with eight or more potential organ donors during the 26-month award period ending in June 2006 were eligible for the Medals of Honor.

All winning hospitals had to achieve and sustain a donation rate of 75 percent or more from among eligible donors for at least a year. The 371 winning hospitals come from a pool of 787 hospitals that met eligibility criteria.