Texas Organ Sharing Alliance (TOSA), the organ procurement organization that provides organ donation and recovery services for individuals and families in Central and South Texas, announced its partnership with Nationwide Organ Recovery Transport Alliance (NORA) to facilitate the transport of staff and life-saving organs for patients in need. Partnering with a company dedicated to TOSA's transportation needs will help TOSA's staff focus on the clinical elements of the donation and recovery process. Like TOSA, NORA is dedicated to donation recovery services.
“Adding NORA to our processes and procedures will help us greatly,” said TOSA President and CEO Joseph Nespral. “We're pleased to be able to add a dedicated, streamlined transportation service to our organization as part of our efforts to find innovative ways to improve our methods and achieve our vision, which is an organ for very person on the waiting list.”
Contracting a transportation service is just one of the tactics in TOSA's strategic plan to provide more organs available for transplant being implemented this year. Other new improvement opportunities include adding additional staff and changing office models to optimize the opportunity for donation.
NORA co-founder and CEO Don Jones says the all-in-one solution will provide seamless ground and air transport, eliminating the need to call various other services for individual tasks. Currently, NORA is contracted with several transplant programs as well as 18 other organ procurement organizations across the country.
“There is a great need for a program like ours that's 100 percent dedicated to the organ donation industry,” Jones said. ��They call us and we're able to do so many of the services together that will ultimately save lives, which is most important.”
NORA's staff will transport TOSA's clinical team members to hospitals or airports so they can care for donor heroes. They will also manage the air transport of donated organs to transplant centers when necessary. Additionally, they will assist as a courier service to take materials to TOSA offices or labs as part of the donation process.
Today nearly 110,000 children and adults need an organ transplant. Unfortunately, 20 people die daily waiting. One person has the power to save eight lives as an organ donor and can enhance the lives of an average of 75 others via cornea and tissue donation. Texans are encouraged to get the facts and sign up to Donate Life at TOSA1.org.