National Donate Life Month is observed every year in April to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation and encourage people to register as an organ, eye and/or tissue donor. Why? Because it can save a life.

UF Health Shands CEO Ed Jimenez shares his perspective on why organ donation is important to him and to UF Health.

Why is organ donation important to you?

I think there are a few reasons why organ donation is important to me and to UF Health. First, the decision to donate one’s organs is a personal one. And people who make this choice — much like me — understand that their donated organs and tissues can save or improve many lives. Second, it aids in the healing process. Families of organ donors know their loved one helped save a life. It can’t bring back the person they lost, but it helps knowing that others are getting another chance at life because of their family member. Third, organ donation affects more than just the donors and recipients. It affects families, colleagues and friends.

At UF Health, we are fortunate that organ donors through LifeQuest Organ Recovery Services saved the lives of 100 patients at UF Health Shands by providing 121 organs for transplantation in 2021.

Like I always say, I have a front row seat to greatness, and our organ recovery services, transplantation programs and survival rates continue to be industry leaders thanks to the passion of our transplant teams.

What do the survival rates at UF Health look like for various organ transplantations?

The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, or SRTR, announced this year that our liver transplant outcomes are No. 1 in the nation. We have the best survival rate in America for liver transplantation. It’s an honor to see our liver transplant program, which was one of the first liver transplant programs in the state of Florida, continue to lead in patient outcomes.

In early 2021, our hospital lung transplant program topped the list as the best in the United States for one-year risk-adjusted survival rates, according to SRTR. In SRTR’s January 2021 annual report, UF Health Shands Hospital’s lung transplant program’s outcomes exceeded its previous years in each category, making it the top-tier program across the Southeast.

UF Health Shands performed 452 organ transplants in 2021 — this includes transplants made possible by the LifeQuest donors mentioned above — and set a new record for the institution. Key to the liver program’s success — and those of other transplant programs — is its focus on the patients and the UF multidisciplinary approach, which draws on the combined expertise of transplant physicians, transplant surgeons, nurse coordinators, transplant assistants, social workers, financial counselors, transplant pharmacists, anesthesiologists, intensivists, lab team members and psychologists.

In every organ transplantation, our hospital is driven by our commitment to our patients. Every action revolves around this, and in turn, produces great outcomes.

How can people register to become an organ donor?

Each year, approximately 60% of the organ donors in northern Florida made their decision to donate by enrolling on Florida’s donor registry. Please visit Donate Life Florida to become an organ donor and save a life.