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News Release

Media Contacts:
Christina Chavira
Communications Specialist
530.332.5589 - office; 530.588.4411 - cell
christina.chavira@enloe.org   

Department of Health & Human Services awards Enloe Medical Center
Medals of Honor for efforts to increase organ donations

CHICO, Calif., Dec. 15, 2008 – Enloe Medical Center will be presented with two Organ Donation Medals of Honor on Monday, Dec. 15 in a special ceremony to appreciate its efforts in increasing organ donation to patients awaiting transplants. A donor family member and a transplant recipient will present the award issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Enloe also received a Medal of Honor in 2007.

One of the Medals of Honor recognizes hospitals for successfully securing organ donations from 75 percent or more of its eligible donors; the other recognizes hospitals for averaging 3.75 organs per donor over 12 consecutive months. From July of 2007 through June 2008, Enloe secured permission for organ donations from 82 percent of eligible donors and averaged 5.11 organs transplanted per donor.

“We appreciate being recognized for our efforts in meeting the needs of our patients and families and helping those awaiting life-saving organ donations,” said Connie Rowe, Vice President of Nursing Services. “Our nurses and social workers’ compassion and awareness allow them to connect with our patients’ families and support them as they make hard decisions in the midst of tragedy.”

More than 100,000 people are waiting for organ transplants nationwide, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. California has 21 percent of the nation’s waiting list.

Enloe was one of 412 hospitals across the nation to receive the Medal of Honor this year. The award also recognizes participation in the Department of Health & Human Services’ Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative. In this collaborative, donation professionals and hospital leaders identify and share best practices for supporting families and clinically managing patients who are organ donor candidates. The success of the collaborative made it possible to transplant 3,905 more organs from deceased donors in 2007 than in 2003, the year the initiative was launched.

Each year in the U.S., approximately 15,000 people die under conditions that make them medically suitable as organ donors, while 18 people die daily awaiting a transplant, according to the California Transplant Donor Network (CTDN), an Oakland, Calif.-based non-profit that works with more than 160 donor hospitals in Northern and Central California and Northern Nevada and offers ongoing support to donors’ families.

“Organ donation can offer a second chance at life for some patients,” says Cindy Siljestrom, Chief Executive Officer of CTDN. “Through Enloe’s efforts to increase the number of donors, it is leading the nation by example. We sincerely congratulate its staff on the tremendous effort they have put forth to earn this award.”

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Enloe Medical Center is a local, nonprofit health care organization. For more information, please call 530/332-7300 or visit us online at http://www.enloe.org.   Enloe Medical Center is located at 1531 Esplanade Chico, Calif.  95926.