Hospitals

The local organ procurement organization (OPO) staff and ODEF staff consult with hospitals regarding the proper method for approaching a potential donor family with sensitivity and compassion. Designated hospital personnel are advised to notify ODEF or the OPO of every death in their facility to assist in the fulfillment of the steps in the donor process. ODEF or the OPO will confirm the suitability of the potential donor by obtaining the potential donor’s age, potential donor’s cause of death or circumstances surrounding the death, the past medical history of the potential donor, any testing results from the time the potential donor spent in the facility (if applicable), and the potential donor’s next of kin information. ODEF or the OPO will also request that the facility perform eye care on the potential donor.

ODEF employs coordinators who are trained to guide the hospital contact through the steps in the process. An ODEF coordinator will check the patient’s donor designation status and contact the grieving family about donation. If the patient expressed their wish to donate through declaration on their license or at DonateLifeVirginia.org, a medical/social interview is completed with the family. Once the tissue is recovered, it will then be evaluated and processed at ODEF’s laboratory and matched with an appropriate recipient on the waiting list.

At any time a health care facility may contact Old Dominion Eye Foundation for an inservice training on eye donation and transplantation.

Legislative Resources

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