CORE CEO EARNS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR TRAILBLAZING CONTRIBUTIONS TO ORGAN DONATION

Susan Stuart, Transplant Pioneer, Honored for 30+ Years of Saving and Healing Lives in Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia 

PITTSBURGH, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) is proud to announce that Susan Stuart, president and CEO of CORE, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) during its annual meeting on June 13, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. The annual award recognizes individuals across the country for outstanding contributions to the field of organ, tissue and cornea donation sustained over at least two decades.

Under Stuart's visionary leadership, CORE, the not-for-profit organization that facilitates organ, tissue and cornea donation in western Pa., W.Va. and Chemung County, N.Y., has become synonymous with Saving and Healing lives. A pioneer in the field of donation and transplant for more than three decades, thousands of individuals nationwide owe their second chance at life to Stuart's relentless pursuit of excellence. Moreover, her compassionate support has provided solace to countless grieving donor families, offering them comfort during their most challenging moments.

"Through her extraordinary leadership, Susan has helped to transform our region into a beacon of inspiration for communities around the globe," said Colleen Sullivan, Director of Public Affairs and Donor Family Services at CORE. "And that vision, commitment and integrity serve as an inspiration to all those who strive to make a difference in the world. All of us at CORE are delighted to see Susan acknowledged on a national stage for the unwavering dedication that we have the honor of witnessing day after day."

From her early days as a nurse on the front lines of the donation process, to her current role as president and CEO of CORE—one that she's held for nearly 20 years—Stuart has dedicated her life's work to advancing the donation process, building trusted partnerships and raising awareness around the critical need for organ donors. In 1994, she spearheaded the "routine referral" initiative, which has since become not only best practice, but also federal law. Stuart also led CORE in its decade-long pursuit of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a presidential honor that recognizes organizations for their innovation and excellence. CORE ultimately earned the award in 2019, coinciding with the first of four consecutive record-breaking years achieved for donation in CORE's service area between 2019 and 2022.

"I'm honored and surprised by this incredible recognition by AOPO and my peers, though nothing I have achieved would be possible without the transplant centers, donor hospitals, CORE team members, volunteers and the selfless donors who offer second chances to those in waiting," Stuart said. "I feel even more steadfast in my personal mantra to pursue 'Every Donor, Every Time' so that more people can give the gift of life and fewer have to wait for the transplants they desperately need."

Stuart notably put her, "Every Donor, Every Time," mentality into practice in 2021 when CORE successfully recovered a liver from Cecil Lockhart—who, at age 95, became the oldest organ donor in United States history, saving the life of a woman in her 60s. Lockhart represents one of more than 6,000 donors who have made A Pledge for Life in CORE's region under Stuart's leadership, collectively saving more than 15,000 people. The culture of donation that she has helped to build in the region gives hope to the 100,000 people who are currently waiting for an organ transplant nationally, 2,600 of whom reside in CORE's service area.

A new person is added to the national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes and at least 17 will die each day without receiving the transplant they need. Still, only half of Pennsylvanians and a third of West Virginians are registered as organ donors. One person can save the lives of eight by donating organs and heal the lives of 75 through tissue donation. Anyone can sign up to be a donor, regardless of age or medical history. Register as an organ, tissue and cornea donor today at core.org/register.

For more information about CORE and its life-saving mission, visit http://www.core.org/.

MEDIA RESOURCES (PHOTOS, BROLL, DATA POINTS) AT
 bit.ly/CORE-AOPO

About CORE:
The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) is one of 56 federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States, serving more than five million people in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Chemung County, New York. CORE coordinates the recovery and matching of organs, tissues and corneas for transplant within our service region and works tirelessly to create a culture of donation within the hospitals and communities we serve. CORE's mission is to Save and Heal lives through donation, ultimately ending the deaths of those on the transplant waiting list, while maintaining integrity for the donation process, dignity for the donors, and compassion for their families. CORE is a winner of the 2019 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a presidential-level award that recognizes non-profits for their innovation and excellence. For more information, visit www.core.org or call 1-800-DONORS-7. 

CONTACT:
Katelynn Metz
CORE Marketing/Communications
[email protected]
412-963-3550
202-309-5116

SOURCE Center for Organ Recovery & Education