Tag: LifeSource

HCMC honored for organ donation excellence

Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) was recently awarded a silver medal of honor for organ donation excellence by the Department of Health and Human Services at the National Learning Congress.  This is the fifth time HCMC has won this prestigious national award for meeting and exceeding national goals for donation to increase the number of lives saved through transplantation.

“Of course we’re honored to be recognized;  however, it’s our patients and their families who deserve the recognition,” explains Lynelle Scullard, RN, Nurse Manager of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit who accepted the award on behalf of HCMC.  “They’ve made that important decision to bring life and hope to someone else. It’s only because of this decision that life goes on after one passes away.  Our part in the process pales in comparison to such a gift.”

Hennepin County Medical Center partners with LifeSource Organ and Tissue Donation Services to save lives through organ and tissue donation. LifeSource is a non-profit organization that serves as the “bridge” between donation and transplantation in hospitals throughout the Upper Midwest.

Grant provides kidney donation education for American Indians and Alaska Natives in Minnesota

Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) has been awarded a Federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant to develop a theory-based educational program to teach the risks and benefits of living kidney donation (LKD) to Federally-designated American Indians residing in the State of Minnesota.

American Indians and Alaska Natives have a high prevalence of Type II diabetes compared to other racial/ethnic minority group, which means that they also have a high rate of chronic kidney disease (CKD).  Type II diabetes, a leading factor in kidney failure, continues to be a growing concern for the American Indian community. LKD can be a life-saving intervention for people with kidney failure; however, for several reasons, American Indians often aren’t getting the information they need about organ donation. Continue reading “Grant provides kidney donation education for American Indians and Alaska Natives in Minnesota” →