The United Network for Organ Sharing is a non-profit, scientific and educational organization that administers the only Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network in the United States, established by the U.S. Congress in 1984 by Gene A. Pierce, founder of United Network for Organ Sharing. Located in Richmond, Virginia, the organization's headquarters are situated near the intersection of Interstate 95 and Interstate 64 in the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park.
Activities
United Network for Organ Sharing is involved in many aspects of the organ transplant and donation process:
Managing the national transplant waiting list, matching donors to recipients.
Maintaining the database that contains all organ transplant data for every transplant event that occurs in the U.S.
Bringing together members to develop policies that make the best use of the limited supply of organs and give all patients a fair chance at receiving the organ they need, regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, religion, lifestyle, or financial/social status.
Monitoring every organ match to ensure organ allocation policies are followed.
Providing assistance to patients, family members and friends.
Educating transplant professionals about their important role in the donation and transplant processes.
Educating the public about the importance of organ donation.
History
United Network for Organ Sharing was awarded the initial Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network contract on September 30, 1986, and it is the only organization to ever manage the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. United Network for Organ Sharing provides the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network with a functional, effective management system incorporating the Board of Directors, committees and regional membership to operate OPTN elements and activities. In late December 2013, it was announced that United Network for Organ Sharing had developed new policies and regulations governing the new field of hand and face transplants like it does standard organ transplants, giving more Americans who are disfigured by injury or illness a chance at reconstruction. In July 2014, government regulations go into effect making hand and face transplants subject to the same oversight by United Network for Organ Sharing as heart or kidney transplants. The rules mean potential transplant recipients will be added to the United Network for Organ Sharing network, for matching of donated hands and face tissue to ensure correct tissue type and compatibility for skin color, size, gender and age. Transplants and their outcomes will be tracked.
Regions
United Network for Organ Sharing and Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network operate by grouping states into several different regions throughout the country.
United Network for Organ Sharing uses a set policy to remove as much subjectivity as possible from the process of matching organs with recipients There are several factors that are involved, including, but not limited to:
Age
Ability of the patient to recover
ABO
Distance
Height and weight
Life support status
Listing status
Time on the waiting list
The individual criteria varies from one organ type to another. For example, with heart and lung transplantation, candidate recipients are given one of four status levels. A matching born candidate of Status 1A within the donor region, of matching ABO type, and within 500 miles will be given the highest priority, with multiple matches being ranked by time on the waiting list. Each of those criteria will be progressively relaxed until a match is found.
Membership
United Network for Organ Sharing has five classes of members, with varying levels of rights and obligations.
Institutional members: Regional organ procurement organizations, hospitals that perform transplantation, or histocompatibility laboratories that serve the aforementioned hospitals.
Public organization members: Organizations that serve to support transplant donors, recipients, and their families, such as National Kidney Foundation or the American Diabetes Association, or hospitals that refer donors but do not themselves perform transplants.
Business members: Companies that do business with two or more institutional members.
Individual members: Current or former members of the UNOS Board of Directors; Members or family of transplant candidates, donors, recipients; or other individuals who are or were involved in the field of or regulation of organ donation and transplantation, including employees of institutional members.
Leadership
UNOS, and by extension, the OPTN elects its presidents to a 1-year term. Prior to serving that term, they serve for one year as Vice President. After their term as President, they then serve for one year as Immediate Past President. This allows for a more orderly transition between leadership.
