Phoenixville Hospital and Pottstown Hospital celebrated their commitment to building awareness and support for organ donation by each raising a "2024 Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) Donate Life Challenge" flag earlier this month. Both hospitals are honored to join HAP and the Gift of Life Donor Program to help encourage everyone to register as organ, tissue, and cornea donors.
Pottstown Hospital’s ceremony honored guests, Julie and Domingo Lopez, who shared personal stories about their daughter before raising the HAP Donate Life flag. Several Pottstown Hospital ICU staff members who cared for Lopez’s daughter were able to reconnect with the family after the ceremony.
"It's important to know that anyone can be a potential organ donor regardless of medical history, age, or race," said Lynn Shoap, ICU Critical Manager, Pottstown Hospital. "This is imperative because there are more than 95,000 individuals across the country waiting for a kidney, liver, heart, or lung transplant and every day more people are added to the list. By becoming an organ donor, you can give the most special gift, the gift of life, to those in need."
At Phoenixville Hospital, an organ recipient was the honored guest during their flag raising ceremony. The recipient shared her story with Phoenixville Hospital staff and raised the HAP Donate Life flag while the staff cheered on, including some organ donors and families of organ recipients.
"Organ donation is so crucial because 17 people in the US die each day while waiting for a donor," said Aileen Bojko, RN, BSN, Critical Care Director, Phoenixville Hospital. "I encourage everyone to consider becoming an organ donor and talk to their loved ones about their wishes. Being an organ donor is a selfless act that provides the priceless gift of life to those in need and their families.”
Some essential facts about organ, tissue, and cornea donation:
- It is possible for anyone, regardless of their age, race, or medical history, to become a donor.
- More than 5,000 children and adults in the region await life-saving organ transplants. Thousands more could benefit from life-enhancing tissue transplants.
- With more than 90,000 people nationwide awaiting a kidney, it is the organ in greatest demand, followed by the liver, heart, and lungs.
- Because conditions such as diabetes and hypertension are often more prevalent in the minority community, these individuals make up more than 50 percent of those on the national organ transplant list.
Encourage family members and friends to register as donors. One organ donor can save up to eight lives and a tissue donor can improve the lives of more than 100 others. Visit the Gift of Life Donor Program for more information and to register as an organ donor.
About Phoenixville Hospital
Located in Phoenixville, Pa., and a member of Tower Health, Phoenixville Hospital is a 144-bed facility that provides comprehensive medical services through emergency room visits, inpatient admissions, outpatient procedures and community outreach programs. Phoenixville Hospital’s services include an award-winning cardiovascular program, a fully accredited cancer center, an NAPBC-accredited breast health center, an acute inpatient rehabilitation center, and a large robotic surgery center. Phoenixville Hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission and has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across services lines that include joint replacement surgery, advanced heart failure care, and the designation as a Primary Stroke Center. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.
About Pottstown Hospital
Located in Pottstown, Pa., and a member of Tower Health, Pottstown Hospital is a 219-bed hospital that offers a full range of health services, including inpatient and outpatient, medical and surgical, and diagnostic and emergency care. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Pottstown Hospital has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across many service lines. The hospital is Joint Commission-certified for hip and knee replacement and accredited for heart failure. Recently, Pottstown Hospital was recognized as a recipient of Get with the Guidelines/American Heart Association/American Stroke Association – Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Honor Roll Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll. The Cancer Center at Pottstown Hospital is also nationally recognized, bringing over a decade of award-winning care to our region. The Pottstown Hospital Emergency Department, a Primary Stroke Center, is the second busiest in Montgomery County, seeing more than 45,000 patients a year. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.