Pictured:
Barry C. Massa
Executive Director
THE POWER OF YES
POSITIVELY IMPACTS OUR Community
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion aren’t mere corporate buzzwords at LifeCenter Organ Donor Network (LifeCenter); they are a lived-in ethos informing our work on the ground to save, heal and change lives through the gift of organ, eye and tissue donation. We believe in building an inclusive, welcoming culture among our staff, enabling them to perform at their best and deliver on our promise to Honor, Inspire, and Connect with our community until all in need receive the gift of donation.
Communities of color face a disproportionately higher risk of kidney and heart disease, as well as facing barriers to access. That is why LifeCenter is in the community and schools to educate and have honest conversations about the truths of organ donation. We also recognize and acknowledge the complicated history that many Americans have with our healthcare system which has contributed to distrust. We must work together to improving equity across our healthcare system.
Since launching our Diversity and Inclusion Committee in 2020, we’ve built new relationships with community partners and created new policies for staff. We believe a marker of successfully carrying out our mission is when we move forward with diversity and inclusivity. To do anything less is to betray the trust of the communities we serve.
We will continue to do that work, continue to strive, and importantly, continue to listen and learn. We hope you will come along with us on this journey, not just to champion organ donation, but also diversity, equity and inclusion.
About LifeCenter
LifeCenter began operating as an independent, not-for-profit organ procurement organization (OPO) in 1981. In 2006, LifeCenter also became a tissue recovery agency. LifeCenter is one of four OPOs in Ohio and serves two million people across 16 counties in Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana. Our organization is designated and approved by the Centers for Medicaid/Medicare Services and is accredited by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations and the American Association of Tissue Banks.
LifeCenter is an expert in managing donation services, and we work in partnership with more than 50 local facilities, including three transplant centers throughout the Tri-state—Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, The Christ Hospital Health Network, and University of Cincinnati Medical Center. We are affiliated with a variety of free-standing emergency departments, rehab and long-term care facilities, funeral homes, and all 16 coroners in our service area. LifeCenter also works with four fire/EMS systems for direct scene referrals for potential donation.
Our mission is to save, heal, and change lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation, while honoring those who gave. We do this through telling donation stories, serving with honesty and integrity, and creating an environment of respect, opportunity and accountability for our employees.
A Life-Saving Milestone
On September 9th, 2022, the United States reached the historic milestone of one million organ transplants. No other country has achieved this life-saving and life-giving accomplishment. At LifeCenter, we are proud of the people who have helped make such a milestone possible.
Medical advances in organ and tissue transplantation and the prevention and treatment of rejection have sped up the
life-saving pace. It took 53 years (1954 to 2007) to reach the first 500,000 organs transplanted, but only the last 15 years to reach the second 500,000.
“To have the ability, the science and the technology to transplant an organ from one person to another so that person has another chance to live is nothing short of a miracle,” Barry Massa, president of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations and executive director of LifeCenter, said. “Without the generosity of people who said ‘yes’ to being a donor, none of this would have been accomplished.”
Please visit LivingItForward.org to share the news, read some stories behind the one million transplants, and help us honor this historical gift of life!
Community Outreach
Trust, communication and accountability are paramount in building authentic relationships. LifeCenter is grateful to our numerous allies who work with us in this space to Honor, Inspire and Connect with all of our communities.
- The Center for Closing the Health Gap
- Bureau of Motor Vehicles
- Su Casa
- Santa Maria
- Esperanza Latino Center
- African Professional Network
- Hoxworth Blood Center
- National Kidney Foundation
- Local 12 and Liz Bonis,
What’s Happening In Health
- FC Cincinnati
- Forest Park Fire Department
- We Thrive Forest Park
- La Mega
- Radio One
- NAACP
- The Lincoln Ware Walking Club
- Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
Your Health Matters
- Did you know? Adults 55+ remove themselves from as donors at an alarming rate. Your age is the right age to donate. Do not remove yourself because of your age or medical history.
- Listen to your body and check-in on your body. Men are more likely to deal with liver disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD) than their female counterparts. Men tend to also develop cardiovascular disease at a younger age than women.
- Risk factors for liver disease include genetics, alcohol abuse, and obesity. Risk factors for CVD are high blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, obesity, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity.
- Men and women both suffer from kidney failure, but men are more prevalent on the waiting list for a kidney than women.
- If you have been feeling symptoms related to liver disease, CVD, or kidney failure, or even if you have a clean bill of health, it is always good to visit your doctor for your annual checkup. Early detection can be a live-saver and a quality-of-life booster.
Pictured:
Bob McCorkle
Kidney Recipient
Learn the
POWERFUL TRUTHS
about organ, eye and tissue donation
As of September, 105,914 people need an organ transplant, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Even though 12,105 selfless donors between January and July of 2022 have given the gift of life which led to 24,414 transplants, it isn’t enough to meet the critical need. At LifeCenter, we believe in providing you the truths about organ donation to help you make the most informed decision possible. The truths about donation include:
Truth
One donor can save up to 8 lives and heal more than 75 more through organ, eye and tissue donation.
Truth
Saving your life is the top
priority. Doctors don’t
know your donor status.
Truth
You can make a difference
by saying YES to donation
when getting your driver’s
license or state ID.
Truth
Your age is the right age to donate. A West Virginian man in 2021 was 95 years old when he became an organ donor.
Truth
There is no cost to the donor’s family or estate for donation.
Truth
Organ donation is consistent with the beliefs of most major religions.
Truth
60% of patients waiting for a life-saving transplant are people of color.
Truth
Only medical factors are used to determine who gets the next transplant. Financial and/or class status, sexual orientation, gender and race do not play a role.
Truth
An open-casket funeral is still an available option after donation.
Truth
Eye donation refers to the cornea, the thin film over the front of the eye, which allows light to pass through to the retina and enables sight. You can register to donate your body to science and give the gift of sight through cornea donation.
Get Educated and
Empowered. Join Us.
Say YES! Save Lives Today.
LifeCenter will speak to your workforce and provide free education about organ, eye and tissue donation. We also have an
extensive library of free resources readily available.
The power of “YES” begins with all of us working together as a community. If you are interested in our services, please contact Brett Milam, Communications Associate, at bmilam@lifepassiton.org.
