STATEMENT
Contact Information:
Jenny Daigle | jdaigle@aopo.org
AOPO Statement on OPTN Modernization Contract Awards
McLean, VA (September 20, 2024) — On Thursday, September 19, 2024, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced the awarding of multiple multi-million dollar contracts for the management of our nation’s organ donation and transplantation system. This announcement is historic as it is the first time the system, which until 2023 was required by law to be nonprofit, will be run by for-profit entities.
The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) urges HRSA to ensure that, as profit-driven companies assume oversight of critical elements of the system, including organ matching, patient communication and policy setting, transplant patients and donor families remain the priority of all decision making.
We also urge HRSA to immediately communicate how these new contractors will be introduced into the system, the scope of their engagement, the timeline for the transition, and their benchmarks and metrics for success. It will be critical that the transition does not impact in any way the ability of the current system to save lives through organ donation.
The United States is home to the world’s largest and best organ donation and transplantation system, transplanting over 43,000 organs in 2023 thanks to the altruism of American organ donors. This achievement marked 13 consecutive years of growth in donation by the nation’s nonprofit organ procurement organizations, which are charged by the federal government with supporting grieving families through their decision to donate, recovering available organs, and identifying recipients.
AOPO is a longtime proponent of innovation in the donation and transplantation system and has supported HRSA’s effort to strengthen our current system. Our association has been an active participant in discourse on changes to the field, proactively raising our concerns and sharing solutions on various issues over the years.
As we move to the next phase of OPTN Modernization, AOPO has identified key actions and policies that HRSA and the OPTN should pursue in collaboration with key stakeholders to ensure that every precious donated organ is maximized to provide the gift of life to potential transplant recipients.
AOPO stands ready to work with HRSA, Congress, and other stakeholders to further advance OPTN Modernization and enhance the organ donation and transplantation system. This legislation represents a significant milestone, and with HRSA and Congressional support, AOPO is committed to implementing additional system-wide reforms aimed at achieving the goal of 50,000 annual organ transplants in 2026.
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About the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO)
The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) is the not-for-profit trade association leading the nation’s organ donation community to save and improve lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation. Founded in 1984, AOPO advances organ donation and transplantation by driving continual improvement of the donation process, collaborating with stakeholders, and sharing successful practices with its 48 member OPOs. AOPO envisions a future where every opportunity for donation results in lives saved. For more information, please visit www.aopo.org.