Texas Driver's License Will Or Living Will Is Available To Donor's Wishes Next-Of-Kin Will

tx gov, Nov 30, -0001

The essential role of families in consenting to donation is a key message of the initiative. Even when a donor card, driver's license, will, or living will is available to indicate the donor's wishes, next-of-kin will be asked to provide consent before donation can occur. HHS has teamed up with the Coalition on Donation, whose members include national and local organizations, to deliver a consistent, unified message on the importance of family discussion. With the Advertising Council, the Coalition on Donation has implemented a multi-year, national public awareness campaign. Materials developed for partners of the initiative feature the Coalition's message, "DONATE LIFE."

National advertising and public awareness campaigns help to communicate consistent messages about organ and tissue donation, but individuals and families also need to learn about the importance of donation from people and organizations they trust. HHS is building strong partnerships with health care, community, educational, religious, minority, professional, and other organizations to ensure that Americans are given the opportunity to choose donation.

Health Care Community:  The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians are partnering with HHS to encourage physicians to make donation materials available in their offices and to discuss donation with patients. Already, one state medical society (the Texas Medical Association) is taking on organ donation as one of its major issues. Physicians in Texas are encouraged to offer educational materials in their offices and to express support for organ donation to patients who ask. The American Red Cross will, through its nationwide community network, expand upon its current public awareness and education activities to increase organ and tissue donation. The American Nurses Association will educate its members and provide materials. The American Association of Health Plans will encourage plans to provide members with educational materials. The National Medical Association will help educate minority medical professionals, especially through HHS' MOTTEP program (see below.) The American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons are also partners in the initiative.

Law Associations:  The American Bar Association is partnering with HHS to encourage attorneys to discuss donation with their clients during estate planning. The ABA's Real Property, Probate, and Trust Section will distribute materials, stimulate continuing legal education programs, and encourage state and local bar associations to adopt resolutions similar to the ABA's 1992 resolution that urges attorneys to get involved in donor education efforts.

Educational Organizations:  The Center for Study of the Freshman Experience and Students in Transition is teaming up with HHS to provide donor information to new college and university students in orientation packets and programs. In addition, HHS= Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is funding a demonstration project with the American College Health Association, a national organization with more than 900 member institutions, to implement and test the effectiveness of college campus campaigns to increase donation. The project is modeled after a successful HRSA-sponsored pilot project at the University of Rhode Island. Finally, under a HRSA grant, TransWeb University has developed a new interactive electronic program to educate school-age children about organ donation and transplantation

Religious Organizations:  The Congress of National Black Churches, representing 65,000 congregations, is partnering with HHS in a national project to educate its members about organ, tissue, and bone marrow donation. The Union of American Hebrew Congregations, with support from HRSA, developed a program guide on organ donation and transplantation which it distributed to its 850 member congregations. In addition, the Presbyterian Church USA, the General Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, and other faith organizations were asked by HHS to urge congregations across the nation to consider donation during the annual National Donor Sabbath. The next National Donor Sabbath is planned for November 9-11, 2001.