Saint Joseph East and Saint Joseph Hospital Earn National Recognition for Hospital Organ Donation Campaign - Archived

Lexington, Ky. (August 13, 2019) – Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East have earned Platinum Recognition for their efforts to increase organ, eye and tissue donor registrations across Kentucky through the Workplace Partnership for Life (WPFL) Hospital Organ Donation Campaign. This is the second straight year Saint Joseph Hospital has received Platinum Recognition.

The WPFL is a national initiative that unites the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the organ donation community with workplaces across the nation in spreading the word about the importance of donation.

“We are proud to do our part to help save lives in our community by raising awareness of the importance of organ donations,” said Bruce Tassin, CEO, CHI Saint Joseph Health and president, Saint Joseph Hospital. “We celebrate the gift of life that donors give to those in need of transplants. Every 10 minutes, another person is added to the organ transplant list, reaffirming the critical and growing need for registered organ, eye and tissue donors.”

Between October 2018 and April 2019, Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East participated in HRSA’s WPFL Hospital Organ Donation Campaign. The program challenges hospitals and health care organizations to “let life bloom” by educating their staff, patients, visitors and communities about the critical need for organ, eye and tissue donations and by offering them opportunities to register as donors. Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East were both recognized for completing awareness and registry activities and prompting hundreds of new donor registrations during the campaign period. 

Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East were two of more than 1,480 organizations to participate in the 2019 campaign. Of the participants, only 638 organizations, including these hospitals, earned Platinum Recognition. 

This year’s Hospital Organ Donation Campaign added more than 48,000 registrations to state registries and the Puerto Rico registry, which also includes registrations from the U.S. Virgin Islands. The campaign has generated more than 492,000 registrations since its inception in 2011 and unites donation advocates at hospitals with representatives from their local organ procurement organizations, Donate Life America affiliates, and state and regional hospital associations. 

For more information about the Hospital Campaign, visit www.organdonor.gov/hospitals. 

To sign up as a donor, go to www.donatelifeky.org. 

Visit www.chisaintjosephhealth.org for more information about Saint Joseph Hospital and Saint Joseph East. 

About CHI Saint Joseph Health
CHI Saint Joseph Health, part of Catholic Health Initiatives, is one of the largest and most comprehensive health systems in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with 135 locations in 20 counties, including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies. In total, the health system serves patients in 35 counties statewide. CHI Saint Joseph Health is dedicated to building healthier communities by elevating patient care through an integrated physical and behavioral health delivery system. CHI Saint Joseph Health embodies a strong mission and faith-based heritage and works through local partnerships to expand access to care in the communities it serves. 

About Saint Joseph East
Saint Joseph East is a 217-bed full service community hospital located in the southeastern section of Lexington, KY. Established in 1983, the facility serves residents of central and eastern Kentucky. At Saint Joseph East, ambulatory surgery, 24-hour emergency care and women’s health services are supported through a vast array of inpatient and outpatient programs. 

About Saint Joseph Hospital 
Saint Joseph Hospital is a 433-bed hospital located in Lexington, KY. Established in 1877 by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky, the facility serves residents of central and eastern Kentucky and is a nationally recognized tertiary medical center. Saint Joseph Hospital is Lexington’s first hospital. The hospital’s original mission was to provide compassionate care to the poor and underserved – a tradition still carried out today.

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For More Information:
Mary Branham, Director, Communications
859.313.2642
[email protected]