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From left are Carly Blair, Corina Tiriba and Dr. Frank Reinders. Dr. Reinders and Carly co-chair the St. Mary’s Organ and Tissue Donation Committee

November 6th, 2018

St. Mary’s General Hospital has been recognized by Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN), Ontario’s organ and tissue donation and transplantation agency, for its outstanding efforts to integrate organ and tissue donation into quality end-of-life care.

On Tuesday November 6, Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) will present the Provincial Conversion Rate Award to St. Mary’s for exceeding TGLN’s 2017/18 target conversion rate of 58 per cent. The conversion rate is the percentage of actual donors from the total number of potentially eligible organ donors. In 2017/18 the hospital’s conversion rate is 78 per cent, up from 75 per cent when it last won the award in 2016.

In 2017-18, seven organ donors from St. Mary’s. There were 25 donated organs and 30 tissue donors.

“The compassionate approach taken by our critical care staff and physicians is vital as they support families through the organ and tissue donation process,” says Angela Stanley, Executive Lead for Organ and Tissue Donation at St. Mary’s. “It is our honour to assist those who wish to give the gift of life”.

“We are proud to acknowledge the important contributions of our hospital partners because the success of organ and tissue donation in Ontario relies on their hard work and dedication,” adds Ronnie Gavsie President and CEO, Trillium Gift of Life Network. “This award reflects the continued commitment of St. Mary’s to implement donation best practices and offer families the opportunity to make a lifesaving choice.”

Today, more than 1,500 people in Ontario are on the waitlist for a lifesaving organ transplant, and every three days someone will die without one. While the majority of Canadians support donation, only 33 per cent of Ontarians have formally registered their consent for organ and tissue donation.

Visit www.beadonor.ca to register or to learn more.