Western Baptist wins Tissue Donation Performance Award

Western Baptist Hospital will receive an award Thursday, March 25, from the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates for an increase in the amount of tissue donations.

The hospital is among 23 hospitals in Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia receiving the Tissue Donation Performance Award for 2009 during the KODA conference, “Communities in Practice: Branching Out to Enhance the Gift of Life,” in Louisville.

The honored hospitals achieved a targeted conversion rate for life enhancing tissue donation statistically better than the majority of acute care hospitals in the service area. 

“Your hospital’s efforts contributed to the most successful year ever for tissue donation in KODA’s history,” said Paul E. O’Flynn, KODA’s executive director. “As a result, there was more tissue (donations) available to enhance the lives of patients from your service area through cornea transplantation, skin, bone and vein (donations) and heart valve implants. Not only does the gift of organ and tissue donation provide comfort to the donor family, but can also help hospital staff by knowing that, although a life has been lost, the lost results in helping improve the lives of others.”

Vanessa Dallas, KODA’s Paducah representative, said hospitals must have a tissue conversion rate of 20 percent to receive the award. Western Baptist’s conversion rate jumped from 19 percent in 2008 to 27 percent in 2009.

“We have good cooperation between our staff and Western Baptist’s staff,” Dallas said. “We’re making sure the wishes of patients who wanted to be donors are carried out.”

Patricia Scott, R.N., director of emergency services at Western Baptist, said it is essential for the Emergency department to have a good working partnership with the KODA staff.

“We are privileged to be involved in the process from identification to family consent,” Scott said. “The gift of organs or tissues is often a positive affirmation of a family member’s life and a life saving gift for others. As one who has family members with donated corneas, donated bone, and donated cartilage, I am very grateful for the tissue donation programs.”

Ted Henderson, director of surgical services at Western Baptist, said more people are aware of organ donation, but tissue donation is just as important.

 “Organ and tissue donation is the gift of life,” Henderson said. “It’s probably the best gift one can give.”