The Hanover and District Hospital is launching into a formal agreement with Trillium Gift of Life which is Ontario’s organ donation agency.
Hospital Vice President Michelle Scime-Summers says over the coming weeks HDH will be working with Trillium Gift of Life in the planning and implementation of the program.
HDH will be classified as an “Identify and Transfer” site.
Staff at HDH will notify Trillium Gift of Life Network of potential organ and tissue donors.
Scime-Summers says if a patient is medically suitable for organ donation and the patient or substitute decision maker provides consent for organ donation then Trillium Gift of Life Network will arrange for the patient to be transferred to another facility for donor management and organ and multi-tissue recovery.
Ocular tissue, as well as multi tissue (skin, bones tendons and valves) harvesting can occur onsite at HDH by Trillium Gift of Life Network team with the assistance of local hospital staff.
Scime-Summers says this means the Trillium Grant of Life Network will be working with the leadership team, physicians and staff to provided education in preparation for this new venture.
It is anticipated that the new program will roll out in early March.