Blessing Hospital earns national recognition for promoting organ and tissue donation

QUINCY — Blessing Hospital’s Life Team recently accepted the Workplace Partnership for Life platinum award from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration and the regional Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network for “saving and improving lives during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by encouraging hospital colleagues and community members to register as organ, eye and tissue donors.” 

The WPFL is a national initiative uniting the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration and the organ donation community with workplaces across the nation to raise awareness about the importance of donation.

Blessing Hospital was one of 1,657 organizations to participate in the WPFL campaign.

Between October 2020 and April 2021, the Blessing Hospital Life Team conducted multiple awareness and registry activities, promoting new donor registrations. The activities consisted of:

• A social media campaign in which Blessing Health System employees were featured sharing personal stories of organ, eye and tissue donation;
• A Gift of Hope flag-raising ceremony in front of the hospital to honor donors, recipients, and their families; 
• Adding the State of Illinois organ and tissue donor registry as a link on the health system website;
• Creating Donor Sabbath and Donate Life Month displays;
• Providing organ and tissue donation question and answer social media sessions, and;
• A Be Well with Blessing Health System television story featuring the need for organ and tissue donation.

The Blessing Hospital Life Team is a multidisciplinary group that works with Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network regarding hospital organ and tissue donation policies and procedures, including staff education; and public awareness and outreach.

Another person is added every 10 minutes to the organ transplant waiting list, reaffirming the critical and growing need for registered organ, eye, and tissue donors.