Contact: Shauna Schuda
Media Relations Coordinator
C: 630/272-8676
Gift of Hope Joins the City of Chicago and the Illinois Secretary of State to Host First Ever Chicago Organ Summit
ITASCA, Ill. (February 9, 2017) – This year, more than 4,700 men, women and children living in Illinois are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. However, 300 of those people will die waiting. On February 21, 2017, The City of Chicago, the Illinois Secretary of State and the Gift of Hope Organ Tissue Donor Network will sponsor the first ever Chicago Organ Summit to empower local and state government, hospitals and health systems, transplant centers, patient advocacy groups, and other partnering organizations in Illinois to come together to transform Chicago into the transplant hub of the country.
This inaugural Chicago Organ Summit was developed in response to the June 2016 White House Organ Summit and President Barack Obama’s call to action for the nation to increase organ transplantation. The summit will take place at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St, Chicago, Ill. 60602) from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
“The summit is a true collaborative effort that unites Chicago in making a positive impact on organ transplantation,” said Kevin Cmunt, President/CEO for Gift of Hope. “By working together, we can save more lives, reduce the wait, and facilitate new breakthroughs aimed at enhancing patient outcomes and providing expanded support for donors and recipients.”
“Last year, the Chicago Department of Public Health launched Healthy Chicago 2.0, a four-year health and wellness initiative that puts community involvement at its core,” said Dr. Julie Morita, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. “This Chicago Organ Summit helps build upon our commitment to improving the health and well-being of those living and working in all Chicago communities.”
Top Illinois government officials, state dignitaries and health care leaders from area transplant centers will present commitments from their organizations designed to increase transplantation in Chicago and throughout the state of Illinois. Additionally, families touched by donation and individuals who both received and are awaiting life-saving transplants will share their stories of courage and hope, including Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.
Some of the commitments that will be announced at the summit include:
· By the year 2020, Gift of Hope will increase organs recovered for transplant by 25 percent to save and enhance the lives of as many people as possible.
· The commitments being announced by the region’s transplant centers and large donor hospital systems to increase transplantation and donation directly impact the numbers of lives saved in the Chicago region and transform Chicago into the transplant hub of the nation.
· Secretary of State Jesse White has initiated legislation that would allow youths ages 16- and 17-year-olds to register for the Secretary of State’s Organ/Tissue Donor Registry when they receive their driver’s license or identification card. Last year alone, more than 350,000 16- and 17-year-olds were issued driver’s licenses or state identification cards. This legislation will generate conversations about organ and tissue donation across the state and potentially add thousands to the registry.
“Organ and tissue donation saves lives,” said White. “Our mission is to end the waiting for the approximately 5,000 people in Illinois. We are here to join forces with the City of Chicago, Gift of Hope and other organizations to do all we can to raise awareness to this life-giving program. Together we can continue to make this city and state a national leader in organ and tissue donation.”
About Gift of Hope
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is a not-for-profit organ procurement organization entrusted by the nation’s healthcare system with coordinating organ and tissue donation and providing donor family services and public education in Illinois and northwest Indiana. It has coordinated donations that have saved the lives of more than 20,000 organ transplant recipients and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of tissue transplant recipients. As one of 58 organ procurement organizations that make up the nation’s organ and tissue donation system, Gift of Hope works with 180 hospitals and serves 12 million residents in its donation service area. For more information about Gift of Hope and organ and tissue donation, visit GiftofHope.org.
###