Trump administration decertifies organ transplant program
by Mark Moran · UPISept. 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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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.
"73 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.
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 providers to 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 DEI guidelines to ensure fairness.