Organ Donor Registry Signing at The University Hospital

Contact: Amy Bomar (513) 585-7200
11/20/2002

Cincinnati--To increase community awareness about organ donation and the Ohio Organ Donor Registry, James Hurst, M.D., senior vice president of The University Hospital, and other employees will sign their Ohio Organ Donor registry on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 1:30 p.m. at The University Hospital. Volunteers from LifeCenter, the Tristate's organ procurement agency, will be at the hospital to facilitate the registry signings. Ohio's Donor Registry program went into effect on July 1, 2002. When individuals designate "organ donor" on their licenses, they are enrolled in Ohio's Donor Registry, acting as a legal directive that ensures organ donation wishes will be honored. This new registry provides that a valid declaration of a gift of organs made before an individual's death prevails over any contrary desires of the donor's family. Therefore, individuals must have signed up after July 1, 2002 in order to be enrolled in this registry. The registry has the potential to increase the number of organs available for transplantation in Ohio. Over 270 patients are waiting for organs in the Cincinnati area. For more information about the Ohio Organ Donor Registry, go to LifeCenter's Web site at www.lifecnt.org. The University Hospital is part of the Health Alliance, an integrated health care delivery system that also includes The Christ Hospital, The St. Luke Hospitals, The Jewish Hospital, The Fort Hamilton Hospital and the physicians of Alliance Primary Care. To view other Health Alliance news releases, go to www.health-alliance.com/pressroom.