April—or National Donate Life Month—is a great time to remind everyone to talk with their loved ones about organ donation and to complete a registration form. Yet, only about 2,000 hearts are donated each year, and with far more heart-failure patients who need help, there are not enough donor hearts to go around.
In this article from the UA Sarver Heart Center newsletter, “Mechanical Devices Buy Quality Time for Patients with Advanced Heart Disease,” Jennifer Cook, MD, associate professor in the Division of Cardiology and director of the Advanced Heart Failure, Mechanical Circulatory Support and Cardiac Transplantation Program at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, discusses how care is focused on improving survival and quality of life for advanced heart failure patients.
How You Can Register to Be an Organ Donor
You—or anyone—can also register/reregister here online through the Donate Life Arizona website. Be sure to check “Banner – University Medical Center Tucson” for the Tucson and South campus hospitals, as well as associated clinics, under the “How did you hear about us?” dropdown box.
For several years, the Banner - UMC Tucson hospitals have finished first or second in the Donor Network of Arizona "Donate Life Hospital Challenge" to register as many people as possible in the month of April to be organ donors.
Questions? Contact Brianne Snyder, the Banner – UMC Tucson and South representative for Donor Network of Arizona, brianne.snyder@dnaz.org
For the Sarver Heart Center Newsletter archive webpage—where you can read the April 4 newsletter where Dr. Cook’s article appears, prior newsletters as well as sign up to receive the newsletter by email—click here.
ALSO SEE:
"Ceremony Honors Southern Arizona Organ Donors" | Posted April 20, 2017
"2017 March for Babies to Serve as 'One Big Day' for Banner – UMC Tucson Organ Donor Recruitment" | Posted April 12, 2017
"With April ‘Donate Life’ Campaign, Banner – UMC to Host Organ Donor Family Tribute, April 23" | Posted April 12, 2017