Under the National Organ and Tissue Donation initiative, hospitals must notify an organ procurement organization of all deaths that occur in the hospital. In addition, hospitals must have agreements with organ transplant centers, and tissue and eye banks to cooperate in the retrieval, processing, preservation, storage and distribution of organ and tissue donations, to ensure that all usable organs, tissues and corneas are procured from potential donors. The California Transplant Donor Network provides 24-hour organ procurement services which include: on-site assessment and evaluation of each potential organ donor for medical suitability; a skilled and sensitive approach to each family regarding the option to consider donation; appropriate clinical management of the potential donor to ensure optimum organ viability, and organ allocation consistent with national policy. On March 10, 2009, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract #26-358-5 with the California Transplant Donor Network, to provide services for the period from November 1, 2009 through October 31, 2014.  
  
Approval of this Contract #26-358-6 will allow the Department to continue to meet the requirements for participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs, provide broader access to various organs and tissues needed by surgeons and patients, and ultimately streamline the donation process, through October 31, 2019.