Oversight and Regulations
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) oversees hospital conditions related to potential organ, eye, and tissue donors under 42 CFR 482.45.
The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare. The Joint Commission standard on donation is LD.3.110.
HonorBridge Resources
The Critical Care Resource Card can help hospital services know when and how to refer a potential donor to HonorBridge.
Legislation
The Heart Prevails was signed into law in North Carolina in 2007 establishing the heart on a driver’s license as a legally binding indication of a person’s decision to be an organ donor.
The Heart Heroes Act was passed in 2019 to include tissue donation as part of the driver’s license donor authorization.
The HIV Organ Policy Equity Act (HOPE Act) is a federal law that allows for research into transplanting organs from HIV+ donors to HIV+ patients.
Learning
The Alliance provides a variety of training resources for professionals in the organ donation and transplantation field.
This End of Life Conversations Guide can help hospital staff collaborate with their local OPO to best serve the families of potential donors.
OrganDonor.gov has a variety of resources for family members and healthcare professionals.