Program areas at IDS
Organ transplants Donorconnect screened a total of 1800 potential donors and was able to recover organs from 300 donors. This resulted in transplantation of 463 kidneys, 280 livers, 101 hearts, 13 pancreas, 70 lungs, and 45 organs for research. Tissue recovery Donorconnect was able to retrieve tissue from 450 donors. This resulted in the recovery of 364 bone, 322 skin, 200 heart valves, 233 vein, and 150 aorta, and 164 other tissues for transplant. Grief support Donorconnect provided compassionate care and grief support to all donor families throughout the entire donation process. This includes a comprehensive 2-year bereavement program with follow up support, bereavement education materials, quarterly communication through an in- house newsletter that reaches more than 3600 households, and donor recognition at the annual celebrate life monument event.
Donorconnect registry yesutah and yesidaho are secure on-line donor databases established and maintained by Donorconnect. The respective registries provide legal documentation of an individual's wishes concerning organ donation if they should pass away. Because driver license division (dld) offices play such an integral role in promoting donor registration, Donorconnect staff made 73 visits to dld locations throughout Utah and Idaho during 2023-24. During these visits, meetings with dld staff are conducted, educational materials are distributed, and presentations are made on the donation process. Additionally, Donorconnect meets on a regular basis with state officials of the driver license divisions in both Utah and Idaho. The national average for donor registration through a registry is 59.3%, and the national average for first-time driver license applicants saying "yes" to donation is 49%. The Utah and Idaho registries realized 1,350 registrants in 2023-24. Compared to 2020 census data, in Utah 64% of individuals aged 16 and above registered as donors and 50% of applicants said "yes" at the time of getting their driver license. In Idaho 68% of individuals aged 16 and above registered as donors. Idaho had 55% of applicants say "yes" at the time of their license being issued.
Professional education the professional education team visited and/or contacted hospitals in the Donorconnect service area 491 times, and made more than 190 presentations to doctors, nurses, and other clinical staff. Efforts within the five largest hospitals included the formulation of donor councils to address the various needs associated with the donation process, coordination and review of cms requirements that extend to all hospitals with more than 150 beds. Members of this team also frequently interfaced with coroners, law enforcement personnel, and medical examiners in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming to provide education, support, and encouragement to facilitate the protocols of organ donation. Public education the public education/public relations team visited 497 junior and senior high schools during 2023-24, making more than 1,500 presentations to a total audience of 36,568 students in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. This program is one of the most successful student education programs in the united states. During april, Donorconnect also actively worked with public relations students at five universities to help promote national donate life month. Donorconnect maintains an active minority outreach program including live events, advertising, education, and awareness activities that extend to a variety of minority audiences. These efforts are designed to educate special-interest communities on the donation process, and dispel misinformation about donation that may exist within various minority cultures. Volunteers were advised in becoming advocates, providing public education on the need for donation, and driving the community to the donor registry. Donorconnect was able to work with scores of volunteers that logged 384 hours of service during 2023-24.