Mike Levin: “the need for organ transplants has continued to outpace the availability of transplantable organs. However, studies have…”

“the need for organ transplants has continued to outpace the availability of transplantable organs. However, studies have shown that this trend can be reversed by improving the process that families experience in hospitals. Congress recognized the vital role that hospitals can play in organ donation when it enacted legislation to require hospitals to be responsible for facilitating organ donation. The Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1986 and subsequent legislation, requires organ procurement organizations and hospitals to establish organ donation protocols to enable hospitals to initiate requests, on a routine basis, for organ donation. A recent Harvard School of Public Health study, based on the examination of thousands of medical records in 125 hospitals in four regions of the United States, found that despite the legal responsibility to inform surviving family members of donation options, many hospitals frequently fail to do so. According to the study, 27 percent of potential donors were lost either because health professionals did not identify potential donors or did not ask families about organ donation. Mr. President, the amendment I am offering today seeks to bring attention to the potential of hospitals to alleviate the donor shortage, and to shed some light on the fact that hospitals can improve their donor policy by instituting demonstrated best practices in organ donation.”