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Latino and New York Organ Donor NetworkMonday, Nov 17thInter Church Center, NY, NY
The Donor Network is a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which oversees the national transplant waiting list as well as all transplant centers and OPOs in the United States. When organs are donated in the New York metropolitan area, the Donor Network and UNOS match them with one of the approximately 8,200 local transplant candidates waiting, based on donor-recipient blood type, medical urgency, body weight and size, and proximity of recipient to donor. If no appropriate recipient is found locally, the organs are then offered to recipients in different regions. Clinical Services: Transplant coordinators are on call 24-hours a day to respond to notifications from hospitals of potential donors. The nurses coordinate all aspects of organ procurement and transplantation, including organ sharing activities. These professionals work with grieving families and offer the option of donation in a sensitive manner. Hospital Services: Hospital Services specialists educate administrative and professional staff in hospitals on an ongoing basis and help develop protocols to ensure that hospitals are prepared for organ and tissue donation and are fully compliant with applicable laws and regulations. Tissue Services: Trained Consent Coordinators are on-site 24 hours each day to speak with families by telephone and to provide information that allows families to make informed decisions about tissue donation. Once the next of kin consents to tissue donation, the coordinators conduct an interview with the family to identify possible medical and behavioral risk factors in the donor’s history. A team of highly skilled tissue recovery specialists conduct the recovery in a hospital operating room under sterile conditions. The tissue is then conveyed to affiliated tissue banks for preparation and distribution to patients as needed. Communications: The aim of the Communications Department is to increase general public and professional health care understanding and support for donation. Special awareness programs are also targeted to corporations, clergy members, civic organizations, multiethnic communities, and schools. Active media involvement and public service campaigns complement these activities. Donor Family Services: The Donor Family Service’s AfterCare program provides bereavement counseling, referrals and ongoing support for families who have lost their loved ones. Candidates for transplantation in New York are listed at a hospital that performs transplants. The New York Organ Donor Network provides organs to the following nine major transplant centers: New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center
The press conference started off with Ms. Julia Rivera, who is the Director of Communications for the New York Organ Donor Network. She welcomed everyone and shared her story with regard to how the Latin communities and organizations, such as those who were present there at the event, need to unite and help the Hispanic community, educating them about programs about organ donations. Each one of the above speakers agreed with what Ms. Rivera had to say. Mr. George Zeppenfeldt, President, Community Consulting and National President said that he was also representing the New York Hispanic Chambers of Commerce and he will be addressing this issue to them and their members, and see how the businesspeople can get involved. Next off was Ms. Lorraine Cortez Vazquez, President of the Hispanic Federation, Inc, who said that her father died of liver cancer. It is important that we educate and donate organs to different causes like these. To donate an organ, one must see a doctor earlier, get themselves checked to ensure that he/she is in good health. Ms. Debbie Delgado Vega, Founder & CEO of Latino Organization for Liver Awareness (LOLA.), who is also a liver transplant recipient, who has been doing well for the past eight years since she had the transplant, mentioned that she enjoys the idea of forging partnerships with organizations like the New York Organ Donor Network. The next person to speak was Ms. Miriam Gonzolez, President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, New York Chapter, who said she is interested in getting many of the Hispanic nurses involved and networking through them to educate the Latin community. The last speaker was liver transplant recipient Lydia Rojas, who’s liver was donated by her sister—she shared the story in detail about the transplant and the medications she is taking. She also said that she is presently working as a volunteer with the New York Organ Donor Network, and making speeches about her transplant, educating different Hispanic communities. Also on hand was Ms. Diana Doris Ramos, who was a donor mom to her son; she delivered a very emotional speech. I want to thank Ms. Miriam S. Perez, public professional ED specialist, who invited me to this event. I was glad I was able to write about it in our Liberty News Online Magazine. We will be continuing to cover and expose different patients of the New York Organ Donor Network coming early in the year 2004. For more information about the New York Organ Donor Network visit their website at www.donatelifeny.org.
Abbey H. Muneer is the Executive Director of H.A.D. Organization of New York City, Inc., a world-famous athlete, author and, above all, a humanitarian. Abbey will write articles about charity events, benefits, fundraisers and galas which are raising money for humantiarian causes. If you are interested in having Abbey and one his staff members cover one of your charity events, benefits, fundraisers or galas, feel free to notify us one week in advance, at LNEvents@hadofnyc.org, or telephone us at (718) 507-7616, between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm e.s.t. and ask to speak to Abbey or Maria. If you would like more information, or would like to have Liberty News Online Magazine consult your next charitable event, please feel free to visit our website, at http://www.hadofnyc.org/store/success.html, email us at humanitarians@hadofnyc.org, or telephone our hotline, at (718) 507-7616, between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm e.s.t. (U.S.A.) |
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Founded in 1978, the New York Organ Donor Network is the, second largest of the nation’s nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs). It is responsible for the recovery of organs and tissues for transplantation, and public and professional education efforts for a culturally and ethnically diverse population of 13 million in the Greater New York metropolitan area. The Donor Network serves Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester, and also Pike County, PA. It works closely with nine transplant centers and 109 hospitals in the New York metropolitan area. All hospitals are required by law to notify the Donor Network (their local OPO) of all in-hospital deaths in a timely manner, so that organ and tissue donation can be discussed with families of the deceased.
