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LANDMARK LEGISLATION TO PROTECT LIVING ORGAN DONORS

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt recently signed a landmark bill into legislation to protect living organ donors. 

SB704, co-sponsored by State Senator James Smalley and State Representative Terry O’Donnell, ensures that life insurers will not discriminate against living organ donors through policy conditions, acceptance or pricing based on any person’s status as a living donor. 

LifeShare of Oklahoma was a proud supporter of this bill, partnering with the Oklahoma Hospital Association and the National Kidney Foundation to see it passed.

“Expanding living donation by removing barriers will help more people obtain a lifesaving transplant,” said Jeffrey Orlowski, President and CEO of LifeShare of Oklahoma. “Though LifeShare focuses on deceased donation, we advocate for living donation as it supports our core purpose of saving lives.”

More than 700 Oklahomans are currently waiting on a lifesaving transplant, and 518 of those people are waiting on a kidney. This legislation will go in effect November 1, 2019.

LIFESHARE MAKES REFERRAL PROCESS EASIER
​FOR HOSPITAL PARTNERS

LifeShare has recently completed its first phase of internalizing the donation referral process. This plan will allow for better customer service and less phone calls for our hospital partners calling in timely referral deaths.

As a part of the donation process, every hospital must contact LifeShare when a patient’s death is imminent or has occurred, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidelines. In addition, LifeShare staff, Donation Services Coordinators (DSC), communicate with families regarding the patients wish to become a donor.

Beginning in February, LifeShare DSC started the transition and began training on the new process. Just a month later, staff began spending a certain amount of time each day to work up to taking 24-hour call starting March 26.

Previously, LifeShare was using a third party vendor to run triage referral calls for LifeShare. That vendor would send information to LifeShare if they thought the patient would meet qualifications to become a donor. If the patient did meet the qualifications, LifeShare DSC would call the hospital and family back.