Collingwood hospital receives provincial organ and tissue donor award

Collingwood General and Marine Hospital in this undated file image.

One organ donor can save up to eight lives and help 75 more with tissue donations.

Today, almost 1,400 people are on the waitlist for a lifesaving organ transplant, and every three days someone will die waiting.

Over 90 per cent of Ontarians support donation, yet only 35 per cent have formally registered their consent.

Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH) took those figures to heart and has reached a conversion rate of 100 per cent, exceeding the target of 63 per cent set by Ontario Health Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN).

“I am very proud of Team CGMH for their effort and ongoing commitment to the organ and tissue donation process. These two awards highlight the excellent partnership between Ontario Health TGLN and CGMH, who are working together to save lives,” said Mike Lacroix, CGMH president and CEO.

To that end, the Collingwood Hospital was presented with the Provincial Conversion Rate Award for organ donation.

This is the Collingwood hospital’s fourth year receiving this award.

CGMH also received the Provincial Eligible Approach Rate Award for exceeding the provincial eligible approach rate target of 90 percent set by Ontario Health TGLN, achieving 100 percent in 2021/2022.

CGMH is one of 40 hospitals to be awarded a 2021/22 Ontario Health TGLN Hospital Achievement Award.

“The success of organ and tissue donation in Ontario relies on the hard work and dedication of our health care partners,” said Rebecca Cooper, vice president of the Ontario Renal Network and TGLN Ontario Health.

“Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH) has made an outstanding contribution to organ and tissue donation, and this award is a reflection of their commitment to implementing leading donation practices, integrating donation as part of quality end-of-life care, and continuously working to save lives through organ and tissue donation,” Cooper said.