The Sault Area Hospital recently received two provincial awards for its success with organ donors.
It’s the fourth time the hospital was recognized with the Trillium Gift of Life Network’s Conversion Rate Award.
It measures the conversion of eligible deaths that become organ donors.
The provincial target is 63 per cent. Sue Roger, the hospital’s vice-president of operations, said the institute is proud to have a 78 per cent conversion rate.
“Last year we had several patients and we know we’ve contributed to saving 25 lives across the province with the work that’s been done by our teams here,” Roger said.
The hospital also received the Trillium Gift of Life Award for the second time. It’s awarded to hospitals that excel in facilitating discussions on being a donor.
The goal in Ontario is 90 per cent and the Sault hospital was at 95 per cent last year.
“This has been something that’s a part of the community for some time and have held a high rate of donations, sometimes approaching one of the highest in the province,” Roger said.
She said only two to four per cent of patients that wish to be donors are actually eligible at the time of their death.
April is Be a Donor Month and she hopes more people consider becoming an organ or tissue donor.
“Every donor can save so many lives. Just one patient for organ donation can save eight lives,” Roger said.
People need to be at least 16 years of age to sign up to be an organ and tissue donor.
