LifeLink Foundation 2016 Report To Our Communities

COMMUNITIES

2016

Roosevelt was a busy, successful attorney when his health took an unexpected turn - a diabetes diagnosis followed by kidney failure and dialysis. However, thanks to an organ donor he received a kidney transplant, and was able to continue his practice as an attorney and now also serves as a Municipal Court Judge. Roosevelt says, “I appreciate life so much more these days. I am forever grateful to the family who gave me my life back and I try to honor them and their loved one every day.”

Return to work, family, friends, community – life - is exactly what we strive for at LifeLink. Thanks to the generosity of those who made the decision to give life through organ and tissue donation, we were able to help make that happen for more than 1,759 people in Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and across the country. In addition, through tissue transplantation, more than 1,800 now experience improved quality of life. We are proud of the lives we impact, but most of all, we are proud to honor the donors and families we support through the donation process.

Dennis F. Hienrichs Ms. Jean A. Davis Chairman of the Board/CEO

President/COO

®

Roosevelt, Kidney Recipient

REPORT TO OUR

TERE, DONOR MOM

230 Donors 655 Organs

306 Donors 915 Organs

88 Donors 276 Organs

SAVING LIVES

Saving lives through organ donation is a lasting legacy. LifeLink of Florida, LifeLink of Georgia, and LifeLink of Puerto Rico work compassionately with hundreds of families each year to ensure their loved one’s decision to save lives through donation is realized, and to give the families of those who had not made a decision the opportunity to do so. Together in 2016, the three organ procurement organizations (OPOs) provided lifesaving transplants for more individuals than ever before, with 1,846 organs for transplant due to the selfless and generous gifts of 624 organ donors.

Efforts with hospital partner’s participation in the Hospital Organ Donation Campaign of the Health Resources and Service Administration’s (HRSA) Workplace Partnership for Life (WPFL) program resulted in successful donation awareness and registration initiatives with 139 hospitals throughout Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico.

Donate Life flag raising ceremonies honored those who gave the Gift of Life, and were held more frequently at hospitals, at funeral homes, and at driver license offices which play a vital role in allowing donation to happen.

Regional Learning Conferences were held in Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico, providing a full day of continuing education on topics pertinent to organ donation for medical professionals. The conferences were attended by hundreds of nursing staff who work with LifeLink to achieve the best possible outcome for families whose loved one’s donation is the single positive in a tragic situation, as well as the patients who benefit from their generosity.

One tissue donor has the potential to enhance the lives of 75 people through the transplantation of bone, tendons, skin, corneas and other tissue. The impact of transplantation goes well beyond the patient to family, friends, community members, and colleagues of tissue recipients whose quality of life has improved exponentially. In 2016, LifeLink Tissue Bank worked diligently to place tissue allografts for transplant from thousands of individuals who had chosen to register as donors, or whose family made the decision for them after death.

Safety protocols including the rapid testing initiative were enhanced this year to allow tissue to be tested immediately after recovery for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. Timely identification of these disease processes contribute to the safety of LifeLink Tissue Bank employees and potential patients are protected from exposure to transmissible diseases.

Tampa General Hospital Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Cleveland Clinic Hospital Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Broward Health Medical Center Largo Medical Center Lee Health Memorial Memorial Regional Medical Center

2,431

NEW PATIENTS EVALUATED

Transplants Made Possible Kidney 392 Kidney/Pancreas 19 Lung 40 Heart 85

Liver 129

504 LIVING DONORS EVALUATED

492

DECEASED DONORS EVALUATED

LifeLink Transplantation Immunology Laboratory is a dynamic piece of the transplant process and busier than ever as they performed pretransplant testing on more than 2,900 new patients and living donors in 2016. The diligent work of LifeLink Transplantation Immunology Laboratory made 665 transplants possible at fifteen transplant programs in eight transplant centers.

Post-transplant testing is another key service performed by LifeLink Transplantation Immunology Laboratory. The laboratory provides vital information on the development of donor specific antibodies in transplant patients allowing doctors to make the necessary adjustments to immune suppression therapy of the recipient, before more serious complications arise.

In addition to conducting pre- and post-transplant testing, LifeLink Transplantation Immunology Laboratory staff makes time to share their expertise with medical students, residents and fellows in ongoing educational opportunities.

EVAN, KIDNEY RECIPIENT

Transplant Centers Served

By LifeLink Transplantation Immunology Laboratory

CRITICAL LINK

JOSHUA, TISSUE RECIPIENT

IMPROVING LIVES

EDUCATING

KATIE, LUNG RECIPIENT

Public education about the importance of organ and tissue donation, including how to register as a donor and ensuring LifeLink is the go-to resource for information regarding donation within our service areas, have remained goals of the Public Affairs Department. Working closely with the Multicultural Donation Education Program (MDEP), Public Affairs continued to provide communities with vital information through numerous avenues –driver license offices, volunteers, high schools, colleges, faith communities, service and civic organizations, hospitals and workplaces. In 2016 more than 163,012 community members received the donation message through direct interaction with Public Affairs and MDEP staff or volunteers. Donor Designation Rates were 57% in LifeLink of Florida service area, 43% in Georgia and 23% in Puerto Rico.

LifeLink Legacy Fund is honored to provide financial support to hundreds of individuals served by transplant centers in Florida and Georgia each year. In 2016 alone, the LifeLink Legacy Fund supported over 150 transplant patients with short-term expenses directly related to their transplant care. The Patient Assistance Program continued to provide much needed financial assistance to pre- and post-transplant patients. Over $200,000 was provided through grants, sponsorships, patient assistance and pledge program in 2016.

Partnering with community members and transplant centers created more opportunities for LifeLink Legacy Fund to help patients in need. A $25,000 patient resource center, funded by LifeLink Legacy Fund, at the Carlos and Marguerite Mason Transplant Clinic at Augusta University in Augusta, Georgia, will open in the spring of 2017, creating a 160-square foot space utilized as a computer lab and library for patients to access information related to their healthcare, medications and assistance programs.

In order to provide such assistance and partnerships, as well as to provide funding for research to increase the availability and efficacy of transplantation, LifeLink Legacy Fund organized and participated in fundraisers like the Wild Bill Memorial Luncheon, which raised $27,000 in 2016, and the Love Give Live 5K which occurs in February. Other contributions are received from the LifeLink Foundation employee giving program, memorials, online giving through LifeLink Foundation website and others who simply want to support this mission.

SUPPORTING