BMLH Recognized for Organ, Tissue Donation

WARE — Baystate Mary Lane Hospital (BMLH) was among a select group of hospitals nationwide recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for reaching gold, silver, and bronze levels of outreach for organ and tissue donation and registration.

BMLH conducted awareness and registry campaigns to educate staff, patients, visitors, and community members about the critical need for organ, eye, and tissue donors and, by doing so, increased the number of potential donors on the state’s donor registry. The hospital earned points for each activity planned between September 2012 and May 2013 and was awarded bronze recognition through the Workplace Partnership for Life Hospital Campaign, a program launched in 2011 by HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Of the 924 hospitals and transplant centers participating in the campaign, 322 were awarded recognition.

“We are grateful to be recognized by the Department of Health and Human Services for our commitment to saving lives through organ donation,” said Lisa Beaudry, director of Patient Care Services. “This award is a reflection of the collaborative efforts of our staff to increase education and understanding of the organ-donation process with our patients and our community members. We hope that, by being recognized for this award, we can continue to create awareness about the ongoing need for organ donation.”

This campaign is a special effort of HRSA’s Workplace Partnership for Life to mobilize the nation’s hospitals to increase the number of people in the country who are registered organ, eye, and tissue donors. The campaign unites donation advocates at hospitals with representatives from their organ-procurement organizations, Donate Life America (DLA) affiliates, and state and regional hospital associations. Working together, the teams leverage their communications resources and outreach efforts to most effectively spread the word about the critical need for donors.

Baystate Mary Lane Hospital worked with LifeChoice Donor Services, the nonprofit, federally designated organ-procurement organization serving the hospital, on the campaign.

“It is encouraging to see the hospital’s commitment to the donation process for their patients and families, both at the time of death and before, through education about an important end-of-life decision,” said Chas Mackenzie, director of Education and Hospital Services for LifeChoice Donor Services. “We are grateful for the continued partnership and efforts to help their community understand the life-affirming benefits of donation.” To date, the campaign has registered a total of 221,834 donors nationally.