March 15, 2017
Marshall Medical Center North has earned a Gift of Life award from the Alabama Organ Center for being an Outstanding Hospital Partner in 2015. Only the top 13 hospitals out of 120 in Alabama that participate with the organ center received the award.
The commendation recognized the hospital for its referral rate, number of actual donations and timeliness of referrals.
“We are measured on all of those statistics each month,” said Kathy Woodruff, chief nursing officer at North. “This is the first time we have received an award from the AOC so it is very exciting. Organ donation is something that is a priority for our staff. We strive to make a difference in the lives of others.”
Marshall North had two organ donors during 2015 that saved four lives, said Alabama Organ Center’s Jennifer L. Hayes, RN and procurement transplant coordinator. The hospital also had tissue donors that helped up to 200 people.
“The Gift of Life Award was awarded to recognize our outstanding hospital partners,” Hayes said. “The staff at Marshall North always goes above and beyond to help us when we are on the unit.”
In 2016 there were 425 lives saved in Alabama because of organ donation, Woodruff said.
The mission of the Alabama Organ Center is to provide families an opportunity to donate organs and tissues. The goal is to facilitate the donor process by coordinating the recovery of organs and tissues for transplantation and research. The Alabama Organ Center is committed to increasing knowledge about organ and tissue donation and transplantation.