Program to celebrate organ donation efforts
On Tuesday, April 11, the Transplant Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center will host Gift of Life — an organ donation awareness educational program and celebration.
The event is set for the Children's Theater in the Monroe Carrell Jr. Children's Hospital from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All medical center faculty, students and staff, as well as all transplant survivors and families, are invited to attend.
“Education on organ/tissue donation is a constant process,” said Yvonne Moneypenny, Transplant Center administrative officer. “This is devoted to providing facts and information to the Vanderbilt community in a one-day blitz. We encourage folks to sign a donor card and talk with your family about your decision.”
The event, in keeping with National Organ/Tissue Donor Awareness Month, will feature several speakers, including families of donors, recipients and nurses. Organ donor cards will be available at several locations across the campus.
In addition to the Gift of Life event, the Spring Ethics Grand Rounds will be held at noon in 208 Light Hall. The topic will be "Reviving Cardiac Death Criteria (in order to increase organs available for transplant): Will It Make a Difference? Will It Affect Patient Care? Is It Good?"
Speakers will examine the reemergence of non-heart-beating cadaver organ donation (also known as "donation after cardiac death," or "DCD") and the proposed DCD policy for VUMC.