St. Mary Medical Center is receiving statewide recognition for its efforts to support and raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation. The hospital was honored with a gold designation through the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania’s 2023 Donate Life Pennsylvania Hospital Challenge.
The annual campaign encourages Pennsylvania hospitals to increase organ, eye and tissue donation awareness within their hospitals and communities. HAP partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and two organ procurement organizations serving Pennsylvania — the Center for Organ Recovery & Education and Gift of Life Donor Program — to support the challenge.
“Myths and misconceptions about organ donation continue to persist, but efforts like those by our St. Mary colleagues — and all the Pennsylvania hospitals who accepted the Donate Life Challenge — are helping to break down those walls,” said Sharon Carney, MD, SVP and chief clinical officer for Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic. “Two little words, ‘organ donor,’ represent the greatest, most selfless gift any one of us can give to someone in need, whether a friend, family member or complete stranger. It has strengthened bonds and created new, lifelong friendships.”
“I am proud of our colleagues who steered St. Mary Medical Center toward a gold designation,” said Meg Ashton, manager of the Trauma Program at St. Mary. “I also am grateful to the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, Gift of Life Donor Program, and the Center for Organ Recovery & Education for providing opportunities to reframe the narrative around organ donation. So many more lives will be impacted or saved because of them.”
Michael Magro Jr., DO, president of St. Mary Medical Center, echoes these sentiments, and notes that under Ashton’s leadership, many members of the hospital family stepped up and participated in events this past April, during National Donate Life Month.
“These colleagues go above and beyond every day,” said Magro. “But the effort they put forth with such enthusiasm and compassion for some of the most vulnerable patients is truly commendable. I offer my most heartfelt thanks to all of them, as well as Meg Ashton and Pete Lorchak, nurse manager of the Critical Care Unit. Meg and Pete were the architects of this successful initiative at St. Mary.”
Under Ashton’s direction, and supported by Lorchak, the hospital hosted a “wear your blue and green” day (the Gift of Life Program’s color palette) and a “life and legacy” celebration at the hospital, and staffed tables to promote education and register new organ donors.
“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.”
St. Mary was one of 107 hospitals statewide that participated in this year’s challenge.
