ThedaCare hospitals honored for organ and tissue donations

Two ThedaCare hospitals were recently honored by the University of Wisconsin Organ and Tissue Donation for their ongoing commitment to saving and improving lives through organ and tissue donation.

ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano received the Excellence in Tissue Donation recognition, and ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah received the Silver Award of Hope. The hospitals were two of 23 hospitals that were honored.

“We have dedicated team members who are passionate about organ donation and care of the donor patient and families,” said Susan Broeren, organ and tissue donation coordinator at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah. “We all work together to take a tragic event and help turn it into something positive, knowing the decision to donate has helped others have a second chance at life.”

The award recognizes the comprehensive work of hospitals that achieve or exceed the goals of the true donor conversion rate, which measures the percent of medically eligible donors who become donors, and organs transplanted per donor. To receive the silver award, ThedaCare-Neenah had a true conversation rate of at least 75%.

“More than 2,000 people are waiting for a transplant in Wisconsin,” Broeren said. “An organ donor can help up to eight people, and a tissue donor can help more than 50 people. The generosity of families who make the decision at a very difficult time to donate their loved one’s organs makes it possible for us to have a successful program.”

The Excellence in Tissue Donation award is given to Versiti partner hospitals who achieve at least a 60% consent rate. This metric measures the collaborative work between the hospital staff and tissue bank in coordinating communication around tissue consent conversations.

“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 UWOTD. “We honor these hospitals and their incredible physicians and nursing teams for working so hard to help ensure that those who are waiting for a transplant will get a second chance at life.”