Organ Donation - Giving the Gift Of Life
Each day, about 70 people receive an organ transplant. However, there are over 110,500 people waiting for an organ transplant and 18 die each day waiting for transplants that can’t take place because e of the shortage of donated organs. As you consider becoming an organ donor, it may help to know that one organ donor can save up to eight lives!
Long Beach Medical Center has an affiliation with the New York Organ Donor Network, the nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) for the greater New York Metropolitan area. Established in 1978, the Donor Network serves a culturally and ethnically diverse population of 13 million people by:
· Coordinating organ, tissue and eye donation for transplant in the New York region.
· Educating the public and health care professionals about donation and transplantation.
· Promoting the importance of signing up on the New York State Donate Life Registry.
Are You A Donor?
If you have already signed a donor card or indicated your wishes on your driver’s license and are a patient at Long Beach Medical Center, please notify your nurse of your donor status.
If you are considering joining the donor registry but would like more information on Tissue and Organ Donation, we encourage you to speak with your nurse or contact your social worker at Ext. 1085.
You can also enroll when you visit your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to apply for a new driver's license or renew a license. If you receive a new driver's license ID card and enrolled, a red heart on the card will indicate that you are a donor.
You may also visit these websites for more information:
New York Organ Donor Network: www.donatelifeny.org
NYS Health Department: http://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/patients/donation/organ/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: www.organdonor.gov
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