Saving Lives Together
The gift of organ and tissue donation truly saves and enhances lives, thanks to the heroic donors and courageous families. It offers hope right here in our community and throughout our state.
Waiting ListElaina ReynoldsOklahoma Chickasaw family waiting on a lifesaving transplant for one-year-old daughter. Read her story.
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RecipientWes HawkinsThanks to a donor hero he can
breathe again, read his story. |
Donor HeroKolby CrumA donor hero who's legacy lives on through
the two lives he saved, read his story. |
About Us
LifeShare is a nonprofit organ procurement organization (OPO) dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissue for transplant purposes. We are committed to caring for the families that are touched by donation. LifeShare team members are a wonderful group of caring professionals who regardless of their role contribute to our core purpose of saving of lives.
LifeShare works closely with three transplant centers, OU Health, INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center, and St. John’s Medical Center and 145 healthcare organizations in the state of Oklahoma to facilitate donation.
LifeShare works closely with three transplant centers, OU Health, INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center, and St. John’s Medical Center and 145 healthcare organizations in the state of Oklahoma to facilitate donation.
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News and Promotions
LifeShare of Oklahoma celebrates the one-year mark of its partnership with SSM Health St. Anthony in creating a Central Donation Facility (CDF) to support organ donation in the state. The partnership has proven to be successful and as a result 105 lives were saved in 2020 through the partnership.
The central donor facility was officially launched on January 1, 2020. Establishing a donation facility has become a national best practice for organ procurement organizations. Under this new model, LifeShare routinely, but not universally, transfers authorized organ donors from the originating or referring donor hospital to the recovery facility to facilitate the donation process.
The CDF partnership began between SSM Health St. Anthony and LifeShare after years of LifeShare’s significant growth in both employees and number of donors each year. More than 30% of LifeShare’s eligible donors were transferred to the CDF in 2020.
Dr. Gregory McKinnis and the critical care team at SSM Health St. Anthony have been instrumental in the partnership’s success. Their understanding of the donation process and support have aided in the management of donors prior to recovery.
“This successful partnership is a testament to the administration and nursing staff and leadership of SSM Health St. Anthony embracing this partnership and our core purpose to save lives,” Jeffrey Orlowski, President and CEO of LifeShare said. “The CDF allows LifeShare to facilitate donation in a timely manner and allows us to better support our donor families’ needs.”
To celebrate this partnership and the lives saved, and to honor the donors and their families for their livesaving gifts, LifeShare and SSM Health St. Anthony hosted a flag raising on March 1.
The central donor facility was officially launched on January 1, 2020. Establishing a donation facility has become a national best practice for organ procurement organizations. Under this new model, LifeShare routinely, but not universally, transfers authorized organ donors from the originating or referring donor hospital to the recovery facility to facilitate the donation process.
The CDF partnership began between SSM Health St. Anthony and LifeShare after years of LifeShare’s significant growth in both employees and number of donors each year. More than 30% of LifeShare’s eligible donors were transferred to the CDF in 2020.
Dr. Gregory McKinnis and the critical care team at SSM Health St. Anthony have been instrumental in the partnership’s success. Their understanding of the donation process and support have aided in the management of donors prior to recovery.
“This successful partnership is a testament to the administration and nursing staff and leadership of SSM Health St. Anthony embracing this partnership and our core purpose to save lives,” Jeffrey Orlowski, President and CEO of LifeShare said. “The CDF allows LifeShare to facilitate donation in a timely manner and allows us to better support our donor families’ needs.”
To celebrate this partnership and the lives saved, and to honor the donors and their families for their livesaving gifts, LifeShare and SSM Health St. Anthony hosted a flag raising on March 1.
LifeShare of Oklahoma Saves Record Number of Lives in 2020 LifeShare of Oklahoma announced that 2020 was a record-breaking year for saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation despite the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to the healthcare system.
LifeShare is the organization in Oklahoma that facilities organ, eye and tissue donation, and helped 508 individuals to receive lifesaving organ transplants in 2020 – an increase of 5% over 2019. In total, 532 organs were transplanted as some patients receive multiple organs in one operation. This was all made possible by the generosity of 214 organ donors, 9% more donors than the previous year. Also, a more than 20% increase in the number of tissue and cornea donors means healing and restored sight to more than 82,000 people worldwide. |
LifeShare partnered with Oklahoma’s hospitals and transplant centers as well as transplant centers across the nation to achieve this unprecedented number of donations and transplants. In 2020, LifeShare was again among the nation’s top performing organ procurement organizations.
“This record-breaking year is in large part in thanks to the commitment and the energy shown by our hospital partners, board, volunteers, staff and friends,” said Jeffrey Orlowski, President and Chief Executive Officer of LifeShare. “Our work is only made possible by the selfless donors and their generous families who make a powerful decision to save and heal lives. Our success is a celebration of our donors and their families, and an acknowledgement of their life saving and healing gifts.” READ FULL STORY.
“This record-breaking year is in large part in thanks to the commitment and the energy shown by our hospital partners, board, volunteers, staff and friends,” said Jeffrey Orlowski, President and Chief Executive Officer of LifeShare. “Our work is only made possible by the selfless donors and their generous families who make a powerful decision to save and heal lives. Our success is a celebration of our donors and their families, and an acknowledgement of their life saving and healing gifts.” READ FULL STORY.