Donor Alliance Reports Growing Organ and Tissue Donation Rates in Colorado and Wyoming in 2011

DENVER, Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Donor Alliance, the federally-designated, non-profit organ procurement organization and American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) accredited tissue bank serving Colorado and Wyoming, saw another banner year in 2011, with a record number of organ donors enabling 52 more people to receive lifesaving transplants than in 2010. Additionally, the organization worked with 966 tissue donors and their families to recover lifesaving and healing tissue, providing bone and skin grafts that will impact thousands of more lives.

Donor Alliance facilitated organ recoveries from 134 donors in 2011 and saw an increase in the number of organs transplanted for the fourth consecutive year. In 2011 this translated to 446 people in Colorado and throughout the country being removed from the transplant waiting list. This is a 12 percent increase in organ transplants over 2010 and 30 percent increase since 2007.

Donor Alliance's authorization rates also remained among the highest in the country at 94 percent, rising two percent from 2010. This means that slightly more than nine out of ten families said "yes" to donation of their loved one's organs and tissues when approached by Donor Alliance staff.

While the total number of tissue donors was slightly down from 2010, the organization was able to recover more bone and joint restoration grafts, allowing roughly 48,000 people to regain mobility and active lives after disease or trauma last year.

Further, the Donate Life Colorado Organ and Tissue Donor Registry experienced more growth in donor designation rates (the rate at which individuals join the state donor registry as a percentage of licensed drivers and ID card holders), thus maintaining Colorado's position as one of the highest donor designation rates in the country. At the close of 2011, 67 percent of Colorado's licensed drivers and ID card holders had joined the registry. Similarly, Wyoming's registry remained at a strong 59 percent donor designation rate. Eighty five of the 134 organ donors (63 percent) and 574 of the 966 tissue donors (59 percent) in 2011 were listed on state donor registries.

"We are humbled and incredibly grateful to have been able to work with a record number of families, facilitate more organs for transplant and see increases in bone and joint restoration recoveries, ultimately helping save the lives of more patients in need than ever before," said Sue Dunn, president and CEO of Donor Alliance. "We never forget that our work is made possible by the selfless donors and their courageous families who make the powerful decision to give the gift of life."

Donor Alliance attributes 2011's milestones to continued partnership with more than 100 hospitals in its service area, four local transplant centers and the Division of Motor Vehicles, whose 56 driver's license offices throughout Colorado continue to advocate organ and tissue donation to the thousands of customers they serve each year. The staff at Donor Alliance also remains committed to decreasing the list of more than 2,100 people in Colorado who are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant.

Source: Donor Alliance data.

In 2012 Donor Alliance will continue its work to dispel myths surrounding organ and tissue donation, to ensure that no donation opportunity is ever missed because of a myth. A large barrier preventing more adults from consenting to become organ and tissue donors are myths about donation, which unfortunately many people believe are true.  This year Donor Alliance will execute a public education campaign in Colorado and Wyoming to bust the myths, including research, news items, advertising, social media outreach and educational programs in the community. Additionally, look for Colorado Drivers License Office spokesman Guy Vroom to share with residents how they can renew their driver's licenses online and commit their decisions to become organ and tissue donors at the same time. Residents with questions about organ and tissue donation can submit them on the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming Facebook pages.

Join the 67 percent of Coloradans and 59 percent of Wyoming citizens who have registered to be organ and tissue donors. For more information about organ and tissue donation, please visit DonorAlliance.org. To register to be an organ and tissue donor, please visit DonateLifeColorado.org, DonateLifeWyoming.org or call 303-329-4747 or 1-888-256-4386 for more information.

About Donor Alliance
Donor Alliance is the federally-designated, non-profit organ procurement organization and an American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) accredited tissue bank serving Colorado and most of Wyoming. As a recognized leader in facilitating the donation and recovery of transplantable organs and tissues, Donor Alliance's mission is to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. To achieve this mission, Donor Alliance employs an effective family approach and recovery programs in more than 100 hospitals. Donor Alliance also inspires the public to register as organ and tissue donors through community partnerships, public outreach and education campaigns throughout its donation service area. For more information visit the Donor Alliance website, or the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming Facebook pages.

SOURCE Donor Alliance