Lakeridge Health is one of eight hospitals now participating in the Routine Notification and Request program with the Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN).
If the patient is on a ventilator, TGLN is also available to provide onsite support to health-care staff in approaching the family.
Tissue donation, in particular eye retrievals, have been very successful at Lakeridge Health, pointed out CEO Brian Lemon at Monday's announcement. The hospital was given the Distinguished Service - Ontario Top Donor Centre award from the Eye Bank of Canada and the Department of Opthalmology and Vision Services from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine in 2005.
"But much did depend on which physician or nurse was on staff at the time and their comfort level in discussing organ donation with families," said Mr. Lemon. "Now we have designated training for our staff."
Also, information about organ donation will be posted regularly on the LED screens both in the main entrance and the emergency department.
The program was introduced among 13 teaching hospitals last January and since then tissue donations at those sites have more than tripled, said TGLN president and CEO Frank Markel. Organ donations have more than doubled, he said.
The program's second phase launched this week includes sites with busy regional critical care units, where the potential for donors is great. It could be expanded again next year if needed, Mr. Markel said, pointing out one person from the donor waiting list dies every three days in Ontario.
"These are people who could be saved. Their lives could go on if there were appropriate donors," he added. "It's a serious problem and we know that unfortunately, not everyone is prepared to donate."
Linda Rumble, a TGLN volunteer and donor family member from Whitby, began helping promote organ donation after the death of her 25-month-old nephew Stuart Herriott in 1994. He was declared brain dead 18 hours after suffering a severe head injury due to a driveway accident.
His parents sought out the doctors for organ donation and his heart went to a seven-month-old baby girl who had been on life support for six weeks, waiting for a transplant. His liver went to a two-year-old boy and his kidneys were given to two adult males.
Ms. Rumble was shocked to find out only two in 10 families at Sick Kids Hospital at the time chose to donate their children's organs when faced with a similar tragedy. Through her area MP Dan McTeague, she pushed for the "Stu Buddy" bill, which was passed in 1997, establishing a national organ and tissue donor awareness week in Canada.
"My brother said he never ever expected to have to make that kind of decision for one of his children but it was the easiest decision he had to make," Ms. Rumble said. "With Stuart being able to help people, Stuart lives on in four other people. He lives on every time I make a presentation."
Of the 1,737 Ontarians waiting for a transplant, 1,100 are men, 637 are women and 37 are children. For more information, contact the TGLN at 1-800-263-2833 or visit www.giftoflife.on.ca.
