From The White House
Office of the Vice President

Date: Friday, September 24, 1999
Contact: (202) 456-7035

Vice President Gore Launches New Efforts to Increase Organ Donation Nationwide

Washington, DC -- Today, in an event with families who have donated and received life saving organs, Vice President Gore unveiled a series of new Federal and public-private initiatives to increase the rate of organ donations nationwide.

These initiatives include: the enactment of the Organ Donor Leave Act; a new $13 million grant program to provide funds to community based organizations implementing strategies to increase organ donation; a series of new television ads and corporate partnerships designed to inform the public about the importance and process of organ donation; and new Federal efforts to educate health care providers nationwide about best practices in working with the families of potential donors.

This year, of the 65,000 patients on the national organ transplant waiting list, almost 5,000 will die while waiting for a donated organ. Less than one-third -- about 20,000 -- are likely to receive transplants. Most Americans say they support donation and would carry out their loved one's wishes if they knew them, but only about half of families asked give consent because they don't know what their family member would
have wanted. "The steps we are taking today will not only highlight the need for organ donation," said Vice President Gore, "it will make organ donation more possible, and will help more of America's families to share the gift of health and life."

Source:
http://www.hrsa.gov/osp/dot/grant99.htm

[CRT believes that these initiatives, while perhaps well-intentioned, are not sweeping enough.  If passed, presumed consent and/or mandated choice legislation would solve the organ shortage problem once and for all, rather than relying on a series of small and uncoordinated public and private initiatives to do the job].