Gundersen Lutheran receives national honor for organ donation efforts

The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Organ Transplantation Breakthrough Collaborative is recognizing Gundersen Lutheran for its work to improve organ donation rates.  The HHS has presented the medical system with a National Medal of Honor.

To receive this recognition, hospitals must achieve a 75 percent donation rate, meaning that at Gundersen Lutheran at least three-fourths of the people who were eligible to be an organ donor became one.  Gundersen Lutheran served 10 donors which resulted in 37 organs for transplantation from October 1st, 2008 through March 31st, 2010, the timeline reviewed for the 2010 honor. During this time period Gundersen Lutheran had a 100 percent conversion rate.