PEMBROKE –Pembroke Regional Hospital has been recognized by the Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) as one of two Ontario hospitals to achieve a 100 percent notification rate for potential organ and/or tissue donors.
The figure is for the first three quarters of the 2015-16 fiscal year (April 1 to Dec. 31, 2015). Across Ontario, hospitals averaged a 94 per cent routine notification rate for that period.
Routine notification is the rate at which TGLN is notified by hospitals when a patient has died and there may be potential for organ and/or tissue donation. When a hospital refers a potential donor to TGLN, specially trained co-ordinators approach families to ensure that they are given the opportunity to choose donation.
“Our hospital and our staff are very proud supporters of organ and tissue donation,” said Francois Lemaire, Vice-President of Patient Services – Acute Care, and Chief Nursing Executive, as well as the local Executive Lead for Trillium Gift of Life.
“Pembroke Regional Hospital recognizes the potential and therapeutic value to recipients and bereaved families who give consent to organ and tissue donation as well as its place as an integral part of quality end-of-life care,” Mr. Lemaire said.
Pembroke Regional Hospital has been sharing information about TGLN and encouraging staff and visitors to consider organ and tissue donation as part of their Be A Donor Month activities throughout the month of April. Promotional activities have included public displays in the hospital and “Green” days in support of organ and tissue donation.
On Wednesday, Mr. Lemaire held a celebration in the hospital cafeteria where he spoke about the importance of organ and tissue donation and provided an overview of some of the notification success stories our hospital has had.
As a former TGLN co-ordinator, he also shared some of his personal experiences with those in attendance regarding the special ways donors and their families are honoured during the retrieval of organs and how many benefit from such life saving gifts.
Currently in Ontario, there are 1,576 people waiting for an organ transplant. At the same time only 29 percent of people who live in Ontario have registered to be organ donors.
Are you a registered donor? Visit www.BeADonor.ca to learn more and to register as an organ and tissue donor.
TGLN is a not-for-profit agency of the Ontario government responsible for planning, promoting, coordinating and supporting organ and tissue donation for transplantation across Ontario and improving the system so that more lives can be saved.
