Organ Donation
What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, July 18, 2018:
Medical advances in organ transplantation have progressed significantly with improvements in surgical methods and drug therapies. Yet, despite medical progress the shortage of organs remains the greatest challenge, world-wide.
In Pennsylvania alone, thousands are waiting on lists for months and even years. Every 10 minutes another person is added to the national waiting list, joining more 118,000 people across the country who also need organs. The numbers are daunting.
Organ donations can come from both living and deceased donors. One organ and tissue donor can save up to eight lives and help 75 people.
Joining guest host Valerie Pritchett (abc27) in the studio is TJ Bradley, a York county husband and father who is currently waiting for a kidney. Also, Lauren Gydosh recently donated a kidney to a former co-worker and will be in the studio to share her experience.
Dr. William Hoffman, director of the Living Donor Program at UPMC Pinnacle, joins us, along with Rebecca Brown, nurse manager with UPMC Pinnacle Transplantation services.
Rebecca Brown, Dr. William Hoffman, TJ Bradley, and Lauren Gydosh
For more on organ donation plus a deeper look at the changing tide of healthcare, check out WITF’s Transforming Health, a partnership of WITF, WellSpan Health and Capital BlueCross.
