Vidant Medical Center recognized for organ donation outreach by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | Eastern NC Now

    For Immediate Release:

    Vidant Medical Center recognized for organ donation outreach by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

    GREENVILLE, NC     Vidant Medical Center was among a select group of hospitals nationwide recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for reaching gold, silver, and bronze levels of outreach for organ donation and registration.

    Vidant Medical Center conducted awareness and registry campaigns to educate staff, patients, visitors, and community members about the critical need for organ, eye, and tissue donors and, by doing so, increased the number of potential donors on the state's donor registry. The hospital earned points for each activity planned between September 2012 and May 2013 and was awarded gold recognition through the Workplace Partnership for Life Hospital Campaign, a program launched in 2011 by HHS's Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

    Of the 924 hospitals and transplant centers participating in the campaign, 322 were awarded recognition. See a full list of hospitals recognized here.

    "The work we do to increase awareness and participation in organ donation is vitally important to the well being of our community and the people of eastern North Carolina, so we are proud to be part of HRSA's Workplace Partnership for Life," said Steve Lawler, president, Vidant Medical Center. "In fact, this time of year more than any, the idea of gift giving and thankfulness really ties in nicely what this program is all about."

    This campaign is a special effort of HRSA's Workplace Partnership for Life to mobilize the nation's hospitals to increase the number of people in the country who are registered organ, eye, and tissue donors. The campaign unites donation advocates at hospitals with representatives from their organ procurement organizations (OPOs), Donate Life America (DLA) affiliates, and state and regional hospital associations. Working together, the teams leverage their communications resources and outreach efforts to most effectively spread word of the critical need for donors.

    Vidant Medical Center worked with Carolina Donor Services on the campaign.

    To date, the campaign has registered a total of 221,834 donors nationally.

    Contact: Beth Anne Atkins, Vidant Health Strategic Development, (252) 847-7735 or beth.atkins@VidantHealth.com

    Vidant Health, a mission-driven, not-for-profit corporation, owns, leases or has a majority membership interest in nine eastern North Carolina hospitals and has a management agreement with one other. The health system includes Albemarle Health, Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Vidant Bertie Hospital, Vidant Chowan Hospital, Vidant Duplin Hospital, Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, The Outer Banks Hospital, Vidant Medical Center, Vidant Pungo Hospital, Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Vidant Home Health and Hospice, Vidant Wellness Centers, Vidant Medical Group and is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. On the web at www.vidanthealth.com