ThedaCare hospitals in Appleton and Neenah were recently recognized by UW Organ and Tissue Donation (UW OTD) for an ongoing commitment to saving and improving lives through organ and tissue donation.
ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton earned the Bronze Award of Hope, while ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah earned the Silver Award of Hope.
“We’re so proud of our dedicated team members. Their deep compassion for donor patients and their families is at the heart of everything we do,” said Sue Broeren, RN, Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinator at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah. “While these awards honor our team members’ commitment, it’s the families for whom we reserve our most sincere appreciation. These families, in the midst of profound loss, have chosen to give the gift of life through organ donation. Their selflessness makes our work possible and we are truly thankful for their extraordinary generosity and compassion.”
The UW Organ and Tissue Donation Award of Hope recognizes the comprehensive work of hospitals that achieve or exceed goals that maximize organ donation. The award is based on three measurements. One is the true conversion rate, which calculates the percentage of medically eligible donors who become actual donors. Another measurement is organs transplanted per donor, which evaluates the average number of organs recovered from each donor or an observed/expected organs transplanted outcome. The final measurement is referral rate, which calculates the percentage of patients that met a threshold to be referred to UW Organ and Tissue Donation for evaluation. Hospitals can earn a gold, silver or bronze Award of Hope for meeting all three, two or one of these metrics, respectively.
“Hospitals are essential partners in the life-saving journey of organ donation through their compassionate care for donor heroes and the exceptional support of donor families,” said Michael Anderson, executive director of UW Organ and Tissue Donation. “We commend these hospitals and their incredible care teams for working so hard to honor the selfless generosity of organ donors and ensure their life-saving gifts reach those who need them most.”
UW OTD is a federally designated organ procurement organization serving more than 100 hospitals in Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. The 2024 winners were honored during a ceremony on May 14 in Wisconsin Dells.
