HBCU Medical Schools and Organ Procurement Organizations Launch Pilot Programs to Increase Organ Donation and Transplant Amon
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Posted By: S. Moore on April 05, 2023 McLean, VA (April 5, 2023) – A consortium of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) medical schools and organ procurement organizations today announced the launch of four pilot programs to improve donation and transplantation among Black Americans by diversifying the workforce and broadening outreach to minority communities. The partnership between the organizations was first announced in May 2022 and dovetails with recommendations in a 2022 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on improving equity in organ donation and transplantation. The four pilots are supported by more than $200,000 in seed grants from the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO), Organ Donation Advocacy Group and Meharry Medical College, as well as individual organ procurement organizations (OPOs) DCI Donor Services, Infinite Legacy, LifeLink of Georgia, LifeShare Oklahoma, Mid-South Transplant Foundation and OneLegacy Foundation. “Diversifying the organ donation and transplant field will save more Black lives as it is proven that patients feel more comfortable when working with providers who share their background,” said Dr. James Hildreth, President and CEO of Meharry Medical College. “This program is the first of its kind and will provide a roadmap for how to make the donation and transplant system more equitable. HBCU Medical Schools have spent decades educating Black healthcare professionals and caring for the underserved, and we are proud to lead this initiative with our OPO partners.” Each pilot has a distinct area of focus determined by the HBCU Medical School and the partner organ procurement organization (OPO) in its city or state. Upon completion this year, the pilots will be offered as blueprints to other HBCUs and OPOs in the nation to model as they expand their equity initiatives. The following are the locations and focus of each pilot:
“Statistics show that 60 percent of the 100,000 people waiting to receive organ transplants are people of color, yet people of color make up only 35 percent of donors. It is vital to increase the number of Black Americans who are participating in this lifesaving work,” said Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG, President and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine. “Achieving health equity includes equity in organ donations and transplants, and increased education and outreach to Black and Brown communities will be a key part of this effort. Morehouse School of Medicine is proud to be a part of this initiative and looks forward to seeing its real-world results for patients.” Currently, fewer than 7 percent of nephrologists and only 5.5 percent of transplant surgeons are Black, creating a significant disparity between the race of doctors and the patients they serve. Many studies demonstrate generational mistrust of predominantly White medical establishments among Black Americans. “It’s essential to inform and educate communities of color about the needs and benefits around organ transplants and donations, and this can best be achieved by reaching directly into these neighborhoods,” notes Dr. David M. Carlisle, President and CEO of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles. “This collaboration between the HBCUs and the many organizations looking to move the needle on this topic is both important and potentially life-saving.” The organ donation and transplant field are rallying around this unprecedented initiative that will improve health equity and address health disparities. “We encourage others in the donation and transplant community to support this important work aimed at creating a more equitable donation and transplantation system,” said Barry Massa, AOPO President and Executive Director of LifeCenter Organ Donor Network. “Our mission is to advance the organ donation and transplantation process by reducing health disparities and collaborating with stakeholders to save more lives. These pilot programs do exactly that.” SOURCE AOPO.ORG Available at https://aopo.org/hbcu-medical-schools-and-... If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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