By Kevin Lee, CEO, Mid-America Transplant
Over the past several months, organ donation has been in the national spotlight—but unfortunately, much of the coverage has focused on extreme and rare cases involving Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD). These stories, along with recent comments from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have raised understandable questions; however, some of what is being reported is inaccurate, misleading, and deeply concerning, because it risks undermining public trust in a system that saves tens of thousands of lives each year.
At Mid-America Transplant, our mission is to save lives through excellence in organ and tissue donation. Those who say yes to donation are making a generous and heroic decision, and we always safeguard the dignity, safety, and wishes of donors and their families. We have long advocated for more oversight of OPOs and are committed to improving the system, but we also want to make one thing absolutely clear: we already hold ourselves to the highest ethical and procedural standards.
How DCD Donation Works—And How We Safeguard It
There are two ways organ donation can occur after death:
- Brain death donation, when all brain and brainstem function has irreversibly ceased.
- Donation after circulatory death (DCD), when the heart and breathing have irreversibly stopped.
In every case, the patient must be declared legally dead by the hospital’s medical team before organ procurement begins. This is not negotiable, and Mid-America Transplant strictly follows all laws, regulations, and hospital protocols throughout the process.
In DCD cases, the decision to withdraw life-sustaining care is made solely by the patient’s family and the hospital care team, not our staff. We do not approach the family about donation until they are ready to have that conversation, and we will walk away from the process entirely if the patient shows any sign of recovery.
We also maintain twice-daily check-ins with hospital teams on potential DCD cases and continuously communicate to align with each hospital’s DCD policy.
Why DCD Matters
DCD donation is vital to saving lives—last year, it accounted for 43% of all U.S. organ donors, resulting in 13,496 organ transplants. With more than 100,000 people waiting for a transplant, we must continue to ensure this process is carried out safely, ethically, and effectively, so more of those waiting can receive that lifesaving gift.
Our Commitment
We understand that trust is foundational to our work. We honor donor heroes and their families by remaining transparent, accountable, and committed to continuous improvement. Mid-America Transplant has been a leader in donation because we innovate responsibly, learn from experience, and never lose sight of the fact that every decision we make affects real lives.