Record Month for Organ Donation and Transplant in New England

In May, organ donation and organ transplants in New England attained a new monthly record high. New England Donor Services (NEDS), the federally-designated Organ Procurement Organization responsible for the recovery of organs and tissues in the six state region, reported it coordinated a record-breaking 61 organ donors that resulted in 160 life-saving transplants.

This record set in May 2023 represents the highest number of donations and transplants ever in the region during a single month since the organ transplant era began in Boston with the first successful human kidney transplant in 1954.

"This incredible month of life-saving donation demonstrates the profound generosity of the donors and their families in this region and also the unparalleled dedication of NEDS staff to work tirelessly to make it happen," said Alexandra Glazier, President and CEO of New England Donor Services. "Each day brings a new opportunity for NEDS to save and heal lives through donation and to increase the number of patients able to receive transplants though continuous innovation and improvement."

"Over 6,000 patients are listed for an organ transplant in New England. The efforts of our 300 employees are always focused on serving those in need by increasing the availability of organs and tissues for transplant," Glazier said.

Among the reasons NEDS cited leading to record breaking performance:

• Including NEDS staff earlier in the process of family end-of-life discussions to ensure organ donation is considered at the right time.
• Employment of two full-time NEDS surgeons to recover organs whose sole responsibilities are to maximize organs for transplant; whereas in the past only surgeons employed by transplant centers who juggled multiple responsibilities were used to recover organs.
• Utilization of state-of-the art organ profusion devices to improve the function of donated organs from older and/or more medically complex donors.
• NEDS' ability to attract and retain top donation professionals.

New England Donor Services

New England Donor Services is the nonprofit organization that coordinates organ and tissue donation in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, the eastern counties of Vermont and Bermuda. NEDS works with thousands of donors and donor families each year who have generously made the decision to donate and give the gift of life. NEDS staff medically screen referrals for the potential for donation made from over 200 hospitals in the region, lead donation authorization discussions with families, maintain medical support of potential donors, coordinate surgical recoveries of donated organs, allocate organs according to the national transplant waiting list and coordinate the transport of organs to ensure the right organs get to the right patients at the right time.