2023 HAP Donate Life PA Hospital Challenge Honorees Announced
More than 100 Pa. hospitals support organ donation through awareness, education
Harrisburg, PA (July 31, 2023) – The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) announced today the health care teams being honored this year for championing organ, eye, and tissue donation within their hospitals and communities.
The annual Donate Life Pennsylvania Hospital Challenge encourages Pennsylvania hospitals to increase donation awareness. HAP partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the two organ procurement organizations serving Pennsylvania—the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) and Gift of Life Donor Program—to support the challenge.
During National Donate Life Month in April, participating hospitals supported donation through activities such as internal trainings and coordination meetings, campaigns to register new organ donors, community events, and public communications. Hospitals earned titanium, platinum, gold, silver, or bronze level recognitions for their efforts.
This year, 107 Pennsylvania hospitals participated in the challenge. HAP applauds its members’ commitment to supporting and raising awareness of organ, eye, and tissue donation. One donor can save up to eight lives and enhance up to 75 others.
“Organ, eye, and tissue donors are critical to helping hospital teams save and improve lives,” said HAP President and CEO Nicole Stallings. “HAP applauds the outstanding work of Pennsylvania hospitals and our partners to support and raise awareness about donation. These efforts reflect hospital teams’ commitment to strengthening the health of their communities.”
The top performers of the 2023 HAP Donate Life Pennsylvania Hospital Challenge are:
CORE Top Performers (Western Pennsylvania)
Top Health Systems
- First Place: Allegheny Health Network
- Second Place: Butler Health System (includes Butler Memorial Hospital and Clarion Hospital, which are now a part of Independence Health System)
- Third Place: Conemaugh Health System
Top Hospitals
- First Place: UPMC Presbyterian Hospital
- Second Place: AHN Canonsburg Hospital
- Third Place: AHN Jefferson Hospital
Gift of Life Donor Program Top Performers (Eastern Pennsylvania)
Top Health Systems
- First Place: Temple University Health System
- Second Place: UPMC North Central PA
- Third Place: Tower Health
Top Hospitals
- First Place: Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
- Second Place: Temple University Hospital
- Third Place: UPMC Williamsport
A full list of hospital designations resulting from the challenge and more information about the scoring process are available online.
“Organ and tissue donation helps to save and improve the lives of people each day in our country,” said Dr. Debra Bogen, Acting Secretary of Health. “Thank you to the many healthcare professionals across Pennsylvania who increase awareness of organ and tissue donation and deliver this life-saving care. Please join the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians who have already registered to be an organ and tissue donor so more people can receive this incredible gift (https://donatelifepa.org/register/).”
“CORE commends HAP and our hospital partners for their continued commitment to championing donation. Their unwavering support, coupled with the generosity of our community, continues to make Pennsylvania a leader in organ donation,” said Susan Stuart, President and CEO of CORE. "While recognizing the significance that these awards hold, the truest measure of success for CORE and our hospital partners has been, and will always be, those whose lives are saved and healed through donation.”
“Gift of Life Donor Program applauds HAP and our hospital partners for bringing the inspiring message of donation and transplantation to countless patients, families, and staff through the HAP Donate Life Hospital Challenge. Together with our generous community, we made history in April with the most organ donors and life-saving organs for transplant ever in one month in the U.S.,” said Rick Hasz, President and CEO of Gift of Life Donor Program. “We are grateful to our hospital partners for their strong commitment to clinical best practices along with the compassionate care and support they provide for donor heroes and families. Through our close collaboration, we have made Pennsylvania a leader in organ donation and we will keep striving for the day when each waitlist patient receives a second chance at life.”