LiveOnNY Honors the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner for Vital Contributions by Over 400 Staff Members in Increasing Organ Donation

Recognition Ceremony Featuring Donor Families and Recipients Took Place on November 12 at Office of Chief Medical Examiner Headquarters (OCME) in Kips Bay, Manhattan

First Time that OCME has been recognized by an Organ Donor Procurement Organization (OPO) for its Mutual Coordination in Facilitating Organ Donation

NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LiveOnNY, the federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) for the New York metropolitan area, honored the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) for the agency's vital contributions to increase organ donation. Leonard Achan, President and Chief Executive Officer of LiveOnNY, presented Donor Champion Medals to more than 400 OCME team members in recognition of their outstanding collaboration, which helps honor the wishes of donors and saves lives through organ and tissue donation.

The ceremony took place on Wednesday, November 12, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., at the Hirsch Center for Forensic Sciences in Manhattan at 421 East 26^th Street, the administrative home of OCME. Organ donor families and recipients took part in the event, joining in a shared celebration of the gift of life made possible by donors and their loved ones.

Over the past three years, LiveOnNY has witnessed a nearly 70 percent increase in organ donation, a transformation fueled in part by strong and productive alliances like the one with OCME. Cooperation and coordination between the two organizations ensures that when a potential donor case arises under OCME jurisdiction, families are approached with care and dignity, and the process of donation can proceed according to the wishes of donors and loved ones without compromising forensic responsibilities.

"LiveOnNY credits the unprecedented growth in organ donation in part to the dedicated partnership with OCME, whose physicians, investigators, and staff work hand-in-hand with LiveOnNY teams in some of the most complex and sensitive circumstances," said LiveOnNY President and CEO Leonard Achan. "The OCME team operates at the intersection of science, law, and compassion. Their commitment to honoring the wishes of donors and their families, while fulfilling their critical responsibilities, has directly translated into more organs transplanted and more lives saved. We are proud to recognize them with medals of honor for their selfless service to New York."

"Organ donation represents a powerful and lasting gift, where every case demands respect, precision, and teamwork to balance our investigative mandate with the wishes of donors and their loved ones," said New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jason Graham. "We are humbled by this recognition and proud of our work with LiveOnNY to help turn instances of tragic loss into hope for families throughout the region."

"The partnership between OCME and LiveOnNY creates more opportunities to save and positively alter the lives of so many New Yorkers," said New York City Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Suzanne Miles-Gustave. "This type of partnership represents the best of us - preserving the core work of this vital agency while advancing the public health of our city and the individual lives of so many."

Responsible under law for the investigation of deaths that are sudden and unexpected, OCME takes jurisdiction in cases that often involve otherwise healthy individuals who may be strong candidates for organ donation. Studies suggest that a significant percentage of potential donors nationwide - up to 40 percent in some regions - fall under the jurisdiction of medical examiners because of the nature of their deaths.

Careful and close coordination with LiveOnNY through joint protocols allows OCME to fulfill its legal responsibility for complete and impartial investigations while ensuring the safe and ethical recovery of organs and tissues. LiveonNY staff collaborate with hospitals, donor families, and medical examiners to identify potential donors, obtain authorization for donation, recover organs and tissues safely, and allocate them fairly and efficiently through the national transplant system. 

"Coordination between organ procurement organizations and medical examiner offices is essential for organ and tissue donation," said First Deputy Commissioner of OCME Nicholas Schultz. "Collaboration maximizes the potential for donation, especially in cases of young, otherwise healthy individuals who die from trauma. Timely review allows organs and tissues to be recovered before biological time limits are reached. This coordination can make the difference in terms of allowing for organ donation to be facilitated." 

Pamela Ariza's 16-year-old daughter lost her life in a moped accident in Queens on February 21, 2022. Amid unimaginable loss, Pamela found solace in knowing her daughter's final act was one of generosity and hope. "Losing my daughter was the hardest thing I've ever faced, but knowing she was able to give the gift of life brings me comfort. Because of careful collaboration between teams, my daughter was able to save three people. I'll always be grateful for the kindness and sensitivity they showed during such a painful time," said Pamela, donor mother.

Double organ recipient Kelsey Weddig said, "Someone's donation meant that I could keep on living. I was not ready to die young. As a result of my donation, I moved to New York City where I never thought I would live. I have met people I never thought I would meet. The donation changed me in ways I never thought possible."

Dr. Sylvio Burcescu received a kidney donation. "It is a miracle that I was able to get off dialysis and receive a kidney," he said. "The individuals involved in organ donation are doing truly remarkable work."

The ceremony marks the first time that OCME, the largest medical examiner's office in the country, has been recognized by an OPO for its mutual coordination in facilitating organ donation. This unprecedented event highlights the vital role of donors and their families, whose generosity makes the gift of life possible. It also raises awareness of the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation across medicine, law, and public service to give thousands of New Yorkers a second chance of life through organ and tissue donation.

ABOUT LIVEONNY
LiveOnNY is a federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) committed to honoring, saving, and transforming lives through organ and tissue donation. Established in 1978, LiveOnNY collaborates with more than 100 area hospitals, providing support to donor families and transplant recipients. The OPO serves a diverse population of 13 million people of New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, and Rockland counties. Recognized as one of the nation's top-performing OPOs, LiveOnNY and the people of New York have increased organ donation by 85% over the past five years. To learn more, visit LiveOnNY.org

ABOUT THE NEW YORK CITY OFFICE OF CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER
Established in 1918 as the nation's first comprehensive medical examiner office, OCME provides the highest quality of service across the forensic sciences to support communities during times of profound need. The agency operates the largest and most advanced DNA public crime laboratory in North America and houses laboratories in toxicology and histology, in addition to the nation's only public molecular genetics laboratory. OCME is home to the country's largest forensic pathology training program, having produced more than one-fifth of the nation's board-certified forensic pathologists since 1990. OCME also houses a department of forensic anthropology and maintains a division of specially trained experts to respond to any and all mass fatality events and disasters. To learn more, visit https://www.nyc.gov/site/ocme. 

SOURCE LiveOnNY