Nationwide Childrens Hospital Receives Medal of Honor

Nationwide Childrens Hospital was recognized September 30, 2009 at the fifth annual National Learning Congress Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative Medal of Honor Dinner. Nationwide Childrens Hospital received a Silver 1 Medal from the Department of Health and Human Services and Health Resources and Services Administration for achieving two of the three collaborative goals, including increasing the number of organ donors at their hospital in the past year and expanding clinical processes for recovering organs. Nationwide Childrens was one of only 264 hospitals across the country who received a Silver 1 Medal of Honor. The award was accepted by Cheryl Monaghan, RN, PICU Clinical Leader, on behalf of Nationwide Childrens Hospital.

Breakthrough increases in organ donation and transplantation in the United States have occurred since the first Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative began in September 2003. New monthly donation and transplant records have been consistently achieved over the three-year collaborative experience.

A concentrated effort led by representatives of many organizations in the donation and transplant community, including Nationwide Childrens Hospital, has succeeded in creating a vehicle that ensures a continued national commitment to eliminate deaths on transplant waiting lists.

The goals of this years National Learning Congress included acknowledging and honoring the Health and Human Services Medal of Honor winners, sharing of leading practices that help to generate breakthrough improvements in donation and transplantation and to establish a sense of community amongst organ and tissue donation supporters.