Sacramento Hospitals Lauded for Organ Donations Rates
The federal government recently recognized four Sacramento-area hospitals for their role in increasing organ donation rates, the Sacramento Bee reports.
The facilities -- which have all raised their rates to 75% or more of eligible donors -- include:
- Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Medical Center;
- Mercy San Juan Medical Center;
- Sutter Roseville Medical Center; and
- UC-Davis Medical Center.
The four hospitals participate in a national program called the Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative, which identifies the most efficient ways to integrate organ donation into hospital care. Nationwide, only about 50% of patients who are considered potential donors eventually become donors.
The largest increase in donation rates was at UC-Davis, whose rate jumped from 39% in 2005 to 79% in 2006, the Bee reports. The Sacramento hospitals were among 392 facilities recognized nationwide.
Sutter Medical Center Sacramento, the only Sacramento-area hospital not to receive the federal distinction, had a 70% rate of donation among eligible donors (Griffith, Sacramento Bee, 11/13). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.