VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Jan. 23, 2020) — LifeNet Health, the Virginia-based Organ Procurement Organization (OPO), facilitated a record 585 organ transplants in 2019, exceeding the previous year’s record of 497 transplants.

 “The life-saving gift of donation allows organ recipients to have a desperately needed second chance at life,” said LifeNet Health President and CEO Rony Thomas. “Donors provide a selfless gift to patients in need. It is our duty to honor that legacy by helping to maximize their donation to do the most good.”

Achieving the record number begins with strong partnerships between LifeNet Health and hospitals throughout the commonwealth, while new technologies that keep organs optimal during transport have also helped ensure successful transplants. The milestone also reflects LifeNet Health’s emphasis on effective communication with families to fulfill their loved-one’s desire to give the gift of life. More people than ever are making that choice, with 60 percent of Virginians signed up as donors on the state registry.

LifeNet Health continues to focus on community partnerships and education programs that encourage the remaining 40 percent of eligible residents to register. There are currently more than 112,000 men, women and children waiting on the national transplant list for a life-saving organ transplant. Nearly 2,500 of them are Virginians, with more than 2,000 people in the commonwealth awaiting a kidney transplant.

“Our team is dedicated to making sure that they do everything possible to fulfill each donor’s final wish to help others,” said LifeNet Health Vice President and OPO Executive Director Todd Hubler. “We are proud to have been a part of the hope that is shared with recipients and their families when they receive a life-saving organ transplant.”

For the seventh year in a row, there was a record number of transplants for the nation overall. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), nearly 40,000 transplants were performed in the U.S. in 2019.

One donor can help save the lives of nine people with organ donation and give hope to more than 150 people through tissue donation. With 22 people dying every day because the organ they need is not donated in time, more registered donors are needed. Sign up as a donor at the DMV or go to RegisterMe.org.