Trump administration decertifies organ transplant program

Sept. 18 (UPI) -- The Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that it will decertify an organ procurement organization following an investigation that found years of unsafe practices in a number of areas.

A report from the HHS found poor training, chronic underperformance, understaffing and paperwork errors.

"In one 2024 case, a mistake led a surgeon to decline a donated heart for a patient awaiting transplant surgery," a release from the agency said.

The desertification of the Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency, which is part of the University of Miami Health System, is among HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s reform efforts announced in July.

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In a statement posted to its website following the HHS's announcement, Life Alliance it was aware of the agency's decision and will "cooperate fully with HHS to ensure a smooth transition and will not appeal."

"We hope that OPOs follow suit in putting patients first," Life Alliance said. "Our focus remains on protecting the dignity of donor, supporting their families and advancing the life-saving mission or organ transplantation."

The investigation found that in one organ recovery program, at least 28 patients may have still been alive while organs were already being prepared for transplant, the release said.

Seventy-three patients "showed neurological signs incompatible with donation, and the Biden administration had closed its own investigation without action," the release continued.

The release claimed a "disregard for the sanctity of human life" within the transplant system, and said that poses a threat to prospective donors and recipients.

"Nearly 100,000 Americans are currently on transplant waitlists, and an average of 13 patients die each day waiting for an organ, even as more than 28,000 donated organs go unmatched every year," the release said.

The HHS said it aims to restore integrity in the Organ Procurement and Translation Network by preventing line-skipping in organ allocation, creating an independent board to oversee organ procurement and transplant procedures, strengthening the misconduct reporting system by providing a channel for patients and mandating that providers report safety concerns quickly.

It also said a new transparency tool will show when organs are donated outside of a standard match list, and has proposed removing diversity, equity and inclusion guidelines to ensure fairness.