NORTH LIBERTY, IOWA (April 27, 2022) — Iowa Donor Network has been designated a Tier 1 organization — the highest possible rating — for efficiency and optimization by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Of 57 organ donor organizations nationwide, fewer than half (20) have achieved this level of excellence.
“I am incredibly proud of the entire Iowa Donor Network team for their daily work to facilitate the gift of life and to provide comfort and compassionate care to donor families at a difficult time. It is an honor to see the team’s efforts rewarded with Tier 1 recognition,” said Suzanne Conrad, CEO of Iowa Donor Network.
The designation is based on new measures established by “Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Organ Procurement Organizations Conditions for Coverage: Revisions to the Outcome Measure Requirements for Organ Procurement Organizations” and used 2020 data, the most recent year available. The regulations were revised in 2021 to provide transparent, reliable and objective outcome measures.
“The dedication to our mission by our team members, board and Medical Advisory Committee played a vital role in this achievement. As an organization, we are committed to maintaining our Tier 1 status moving forward,” Conrad said.
Iowa Donor Network has established itself as a role model for best practices and earns consistently high satisfaction scores from donor families and hospitals. And for the past four years running, it has set records for organ donation in Iowa. The organization’s goal for 2022 is 400 organs for transplant from 150 donors.
“Together, we have made great strides toward reducing the transplant waiting list, but there are still more than 106,000 people in the United States in need of a life-saving organ transplant,” Conrad said, noting that more than 600 of those waiting are Iowans. “We will continue to work tirelessly to save more lives,” she said.
Based in North Liberty, Iowa Donor Network is an accredited and federally certified organization serving the state of Iowa as a member of a nationwide organ procurement network.
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Its functions are many, including coordination with healthcare professionals, funeral directors, and others in the donation process, as well as education and support for grieving donor families. In addition, when a candidate for organ donation becomes available, Iowa Donor Network notifies a central agency, which determines donation recipients based on several factors including tissue type and distance. Iowa Donor Network then facilitates delivery of the donated organs.
Anyone may register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor, regardless of age or medical history. To join the donor registry or to learn more, visit www.IowaDonorNetwork.org, or call (800) 831-4131.
