ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton was recently recognized by the University of Wisconsin Organ and Tissue Donation (UW OTD) for the ongoing commitment to saving and improving lives through organ and tissue donation.
The hospital earned the Award of Hope (Bronze) for organ donation performance in 2021. ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton was among the top in the state recognized for various awards.
“We’re proud of our dedicated team members who care deeply about donor patients and their families,” said Beth Gundrum, RN, Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinator at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton. “While this award recognizes our team members, we extend our gratitude to families who make the decision at a very difficult time to donate their loved one’s organs. Those families make it possible for us to have a successful program, and we are incredibly grateful for their compassion for others.”
According to UW OTD, the Award of Hope recognizes the comprehensive work of hospitals that achieve or exceed specific goals that maximize the amazing gift of organ and tissue transplantation.
ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah also exemplified a hospital’s commitment to offering hope and excellent patient and family care through donation in 2021. The hospital continues to be a leader in organ and tissue donation throughout the service area.
“Our teams are privileged to have the opportunity to work with families, helping them take their tragic event and give others have a second chance at life,” said Gundrum. “The commitment to excellent care at the bedside allows more lives to be saved.”
UW OTD is a federally designated organ procurement organization serving more than 100 hospitals in Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. According to the organization, there are more than 100,000 people in the nation who are waiting for life-saving organ transplants. Another name is added to the national waiting list every 9 minutes, and an average of 19 people die every day because they did not get the organ they needed in time.
To learn more about organ and tissue donation, and to sign up to be an organ, tissue, and eye donor, please visit: DonorRegistry.Wisconsin.gov.
About ThedaCare
For more than 110 years, ThedaCare® has been committed to improving the health of the communities it serves in northeast and central Wisconsin. The organization delivers care to more than 600,000 residents in 17 counties and employs approximately 7,000 health care professionals. ThedaCare has 180 points of care, including seven hospitals. As an organization committed to being a leader in Population Health, team members are dedicated to empowering people to live their best lives through easy access to individualized care, supporting each person’s own health and wellbeing. ThedaCare also partners with communities to understand unique needs, finding solutions together, and encouraging health awareness and action. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a not-for-profit health system with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs, as well as primary care.
For more information, visit thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on social media. Members of the media should call Cassandra Wallace, Public and Media Relations Consultant at 920.442.0328 or the ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah switchboard at 920.729.3100 and ask for the marketing person on call.
