January 8, 2007 - Toronto, ON -Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) announced an expansion of the number of hospitals participating in Routine Notification and Request (RNR) today, ensuring more identification and reporting of potential donors to TGLN's Provincial Resource Centre.
"This is an exciting day for TGLN," said Frank Markel, President and CEO of Trillium Gift of Life Network. "Expanding RNR to an additional 8 hospitals ensures an increase in accurate identification of potential donors. It also provides an opportunity for eligible families to donate and fulfill their loved one's wishes more often. We had a great deal of success with the first phase of RNR that was implemented last January, and have every reason to believe phase two will mean new hope for all of those people on the waiting list today."
On January 9, 2006, the McGuinty government enacted a section of the Trillium Gift of Life Network Act requiring RNR. In the 10 months following, referrals from hospitals have nearly tripled leading to increases in organ and tissue donation.
Today's announcement means the following hospitals will be participating in RNR: The Scarborough Hospital (Grace Campus & General Campus), St. Mary's General Hospital, Niagara Health System (Douglas Memorial Hospital, Greater Niagara General, Port Colborne General, St. Catharines General and Welland Hospital sites), Royal Victoria Hospital, York Central Hospital, Grand River Hospital, Lakeridge Health Corporation and William Osler Health Centre (Etobicoke General Hospital & Peel Memorial Hospital).
The original 13 hospitals participating in RNR include: Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children, Hotel-Dieu Grace (Windsor), Kingston General Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, The Ottawa Hospital, St. Michael's Hospital, Sudbury Regional Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Thunder Bay Regional Hospital, Trillium Health Centre and University Health Network.
Other initiatives TGLN is utilizing to increase organ and tissue donation rates in Ontario are:
- Introduction and implementation of Donation after Cardiac Death
- Effective requesting training for all TGLN in-hospital coordinators
- Adoption of best practices from the United States' "Breakthrough Collaborative"
- Increased education and awareness of the facts around organ and tissue donation aimed at the general public and healthcare providers
"We will continue working hard at these initiatives so that we can make a difference to the over 1700 people on the waiting list in Ontario today," said Markel.
Today in Ontario, 1737 patients are on the transplant waiting list. Of those, 1100 are men, 637 are women and 37 of those patients are children.
Trillium Gift of Life Network is a not-for-profit agency of the Government of Ontario and is responsible for planning, promoting, coordinating and supporting organ and tissue donation across Ontario and improving the system so that more lives can be saved.
“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Sign Your Donor Card & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”
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