STATEMENT

Media Contact:
Jenny Daigle | jdaigle@aopo.org

AOPO Statement on The New York Times Coverage of
Donation After Circulatory Death

McLean, VA (July 20, 2025) — Recent coverage by The New York Times has raised concerns about patient safety during select organ donation cases involving donation after circulatory death (DCD). The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) and its members are treating these concerns very seriously. We are working closely with partners across the organ donation and transplantation system to learn more about these incidents to improve safeguards so patients, their families, and the public can continue to trust this system that gives life, hope, and healing to hundreds of Americans every day.

Organ donation involves multiple health care teams, including hospital medical personnel, Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) professionals, and transplant surgeons working in tandem. Each team must adhere to strict and specific protocols that guide the donation process and ensure patients are appropriate candidates for donation before proceeding.

DCD is a precise and highly complex pathway to deceased organ donation that is increasingly used by hospitals and OPOs to save more lives. In 2024, more than 7,000 Americans saved lives as DCD donors. The process involves several stages of clinical review and oversight prior to donation. All specialists involved are trained to understand and follow their distinct responsibilities, and OPOs do not proceed with donation until the hospital team has declared death using medical guidelines in accordance with the Uniform Determination of Death Act and hospital policy.

It is important to clarify that OPOs do not declare death for patients or intrude on other hospital duties such as patient care or end-of-life decision making. Those are the sole responsibilities of hospital medical teams in collaboration with patient families. The decision to withdraw life sustaining treatment always comes first and is separate from decisions about donation.

AOPO pledges to work with its members and key stakeholders to improve national DCD standards to ensure consistency, transparency and ethical clarity. Our goal is to ensure patient safety while honoring the decisions of donors and their families.

Thousands of Americans are alive today because of DCD, and we urge everyone to seek out information about the process and speak with experts before making donation decisions. Please visit factsaboutorgandonation.com to learn more.