OneLegacy recovered a combined 2,300

organ and tissue donors in 2008, helping to save

and heal nearly 100,000 lives. OneLegacy also

achieved its highest-ever organ donation consent

rate of 67%, an improvement of four percentage

points over last year’s mark, and 10 points above

the average in 2002-2005.

Working in concert with more than 200 hospi-

tal partners, OneLegacy coordinated the recovery

of 1,235 transplanted organs from 400 donors in

2008. Both marks represent the organization’s

second-highest recovery totals and come as hos-

pital staff increasingly integrate OneLegacy’s

services into their end-of-life care to benefit the

families they serve.

Less than 10 years ago, only half of families

approached in hospitals gave consent for dona-

tion. Now, a full two-thirds of the families with

the opportunity to donate choose to do so, said

Tom Mone, CEO and Executive Vice President at

OneLegacy. Furthermore, nearly three-quarters

of families that donate organs also give consent

for tissue donation. Never before have the fami-

lies, hospitals and communities we serve been so

supportive of the Donate Life mission.

The community’s support for tissue donation

is evidenced by the continued rapid expansion of

OneLegacy’s Tissue Operations. In 2008,

OneLegacy recovered corneas and tissue from

1,960 donors, a 34% increase over the year prior

BY LOUIS DACHIS

Quentin Dachis was a baby who made

hearts melt. His huge blue eyes, his devilish

smirks and his clutzy manner caused us to be

stopped in public with gasps of love.

Quentin was 16 months old when he fell

into a backyard pool on December 22, 2003.

He was resuscitated and airlifted to Loma

Linda University Medical Center, where he

remained in a coma for two days. Soon after it

became clear that Quentin was not going to

pull through, we were connected with repre-

sentatives from OneLegacy to discuss organ

donation.

While painful and difficult, the choice to

allow Quentin to help others was plainly right.

It was a way to ensure other people that were

dealing with life and death issues like we had,

and would have a better outcome. It was a way

The BridgeSpring 2009

3 Mendez NIT Labs’Critical Role

4 Donor Data

5 El Puente

6 ‘Fields of Gold’Honors Donors

7 Tissue RecoveryTechs Serve in Iraq

7 ‘Donate Life Gives’Holiday Cheer

8 2009 Donate LifeRose Parade Float

11 Donor DesignationSoars Nationwide

12 Two Legacies

14 Hospital Donor &Referral Data

2008: Nearly 100,000Lives Touched byRecovered Donors

Quentin Dachis

The community newsletter of OneLegacy, the non-profitorgan and tissue recovery organization serving the greater Los Angeles area

NO

N-P

RO

FIT

U.S

. PO

STA

GE

PAID

LOS

AN

GE

LES

CA

PE

RM

IT#32574

221S

ou

th Fig

uero

a Street, S

uite 500

Los A

ng

eles, CA

90012

800-338-611224-hour line for routine notification or donor referrals

ww

w.onelegacy.org

Tom

Mone

Chief E

xecutive Officer and

Executive Vice P

resident

Pra

sad G

arim

ella

Chief O

perating Officer and

Chief Inform

ation Officer

Renee H

aw

thorn

e

Chief D

evelopment O

fficer

Bobby P

atto

n

Chief F

inancial Officer and

Vice President of F

inance

Ala

n C

ochra

n

Vice President of Q

uality Systems

Anita

Corliss

Vice President of H

uman R

esources

Bry

an S

tew

art

Vice President of C

omm

unications

Esth

er-M

arie

Carm

ichael

Director, G

overnance and Governm

ental Affairs

Johnny C

arw

ell

Director of H

ospital Services - Tissue

Ste

phanie

Colla

zo

Director, C

linical Education

Vic

ki S

imm

ons

Director, Inform

ation Technology

Maria

Sta

dtle

r

Director, R

esearch Partnerships

Jim T

risch

Director, D

onation Services

Sherry

Watso

n

Director, Q

uality Assurance and

Perform

ance Improvem

ent

Managem

ent T

eam

Return Service Requested

1,235 ORGANS TRANSPLANTEDFROM 400 ORGAN DONORS;RECORD 1,960 EYE/TISSUE DONORS

Please see QUENTIN, Page 13Please see 2008, Page 10

MILESTONES On September 15, KarleenSamartan gave birth to son DevinChristopher…On November 29, Kari Kozuki wel-comed her second child, Ben…On January 29,Erik Arenas and family welcomed a baby boy.

WELCOME Administration: Lizette Dinsay,Human Resources Specialist…Danial Ishoo,Accounting Assistant…Mark Johnson, QualitySystems Process Engineer…Maria “April”Macias, Administrative Assistant…Ian Pham,Telecommunications Specialist…Kevin Pham,IS Network Administrator…ChristopherSariego, Media Relations Coordinator. ContactCenter: Bryan Bulthaup, Call CenterSupervisor…Rhubella Arata, Nickol Blackson,Kylie Bruce, Mary Concepcion, Kiera Dyer,Bobbi Jo Escher, Rigo Herrera, RoxanneGranske, Catherine Hartel, Willette Hurst,Sussan Johnson, Misti Laun, Melissa Lomeli,Liz Muscia, Ivette Nario, Ryan O’Dell, LoriPergo, Josh Rinker, Fatima Rivas, Sarah

Robbins, Shane Rodriguez and Lisette Sempe,Consent Approach Coordinators. OrganOperations: Jessica Bazanos, BenjaminBergstrom, Bryan Herring, Joseph Murray,Michael Romero and Margaret Seyffert,Procurement Transplant Coordinators…ChristyBethel, Lauren Feuerman, Samantha Rosenburgand Duane Turner, Hospital ServicesCoordinators. Tissue Operations: Shamir Hasan,David Ivie, Jia “Lina” Mao, Darren Ohara,Megan Sampson, Jessica Smalley, Lori Smith,Laura Teasley, Michelle Tillery and Ray Ycong,Surgical Recovery Technicians…Gina Capelo,Donor Information Coordinator…Jose Del Realand Marcos Seput, Central Supply Technicians.

ON THE MOVE Administration: Linda Aguilar,Administrative Assistant/Receptionist…Elenade la Cruz, Media Relations Specialist…PrasadGarimella, Chief Operating Officer and ChiefInformation Officer…Mary Goodwin, ClinicalResources Coordinator…Michelle Harris,Senior Accounting Assistant…ReneeHawthorne, Chief Development Officer …LidiaKinoshita, Clinical Education and ResearchAssistant…Clemen Sabah, Human Resources

Education Specialist…Tom Seto, IS SoftwareProject Manager. Contact Center: RoAna Lutz,Call Center Supervisor. Organ Recovery: NancyAllen and LuCyndi Ramirez, Managers, OrganProcurement…Woodi Anderson, Scott Bunting,Kren Campbell, Robert Morse, Alisa Suarez andKristina Wheeler, Organ ProcurementSupervisors…Wanda Jones, Manager,Procurement & Donation After Cardiac DeathProgram…Stacy Lane, Manager, OrganProcurement Standards and Procedures…Angela Mascarenhas, Medical RecordsAnalyst…Adam Teller, In-House HospitalServices Coordinator. Tissue Operations: StacyAnderson, Accounting Assistant.

BEST WISHES We wish the following formeremployees the best in their future endeavors: JodiAlexander, Deana Decarlo, Karen Detterich, JeffFleming, Pauline Gaughan, Tamra Grote, MaritaHarris, David Ivie, Jennifer Latham, Lina (Jia) Mao,John McCain, Jennifer McDowell, Megan Medel,Mariam Mollahassani, Ralph Navarro, RobertNordquist, Sam Oliveros, Peter Ramos, RigobertoRivera, Barbara Robles, Andra Kai Shaw, MonroeTinker, Matti Vigil and Laverne Wilson.

2

January 1 to December 31, 2008Organ Elig Organ OrgansRefer Refer Donors Tx’d

Organ Elig Organ OrgansRefer Refer Donors Tx’d

O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

Orange Coast Memorial Med Ctr 5 0 0 0Placentia Linda Community Hospital 2 0 0 0Saddleback Memorial Med Ctr 16 5 4 7Saddleback Memorial Med Ctr - San Clemente 8 2 2 8South Coast Medical Center 5 0 0 0St. Joseph Hospital 16 1 0 0St. Jude Medical Center 35 4 1 0Tustin Community Hospital 1 0 0 0UCI Medical Center 140 28 21 59West Anaheim Medical Center 5 0 0 0Western Medical Center Anaheim 8 0 0 0Western Medical Center Santa Ana 72 17 14 51

RIVERSIDE & SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIESArrowhead Regional Medical Center 134 25 19 67Barstow Community Hospital 4 0 0 0Chino Valley Medical Center 6 1 1 5Community Hospital of San Bernardino 11 4 2 6Corona Regional Medical Center 18 3 1 5Desert Regional Medical Center 87 19 12 48Desert Valley Hospital 5 1 1 3Eisenhower Memorial Hospital 21 3 2 1Hemet Valley Medical Center 21 2 0 0Inland Valley Regional Medical Ctr 38 4 0 0Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Med Ctr 1 0 0 0John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital 21 1 0 0Kaiser Permanente Fontana Med Ctr 98 8 3 6Kaiser Permanente Riverside Med Ctr 23 0 0 0Loma Linda Community Medical Ctr 2 0 0 0Loma Linda University Medical Ctr 194 28 22 90Menifee Valley Medical Center 8 0 0 0Moreno Valley Community Hospital 1 0 0 0

15S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y

Crossroads

Palo Verde Community Hospital 1 0 0 0Parkview Community Hospital Med Ctr 19 0 0 0Rancho Springs Medical Center 11 3 2 7Redlands Community Hospital 12 1 0 0Riverside Community Hospital 40 8 3 12Riverside County Regional Med Ctr 90 17 11 30San Antonio Community Hospital 60 5 1 1San Bernardino County Medical Society 1 0 0 0San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital 3 1 1 0St. Bernardine Medical Center 112 2 2 5St. Mary Regional Medical Center 18 0 0 0Victor Valley Community Hospital 15 0 0 0

SANTA BARBARA & VENTURA COUNTIESCommty Memorial Hosp of San Buenaventura 12 0 0 0Lompoc District Hospital 3 0 0 0Los Robles Regional Medical Center 18 4 2 7Marian Medical Center 18 6 3 8Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital 44 12 5 12Simi Valley Hospital & Health Care Svcs 14 4 3 11St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital 1 0 0 0St. John's Regional Medical Center 30 7 4 16Ventura County Medical Center 24 2 1 2

OTHERQueen of the Valley / Napa 3 0 0 0Riverview Regional Medical Center 2 0 0 0UC San Diego 1 0 0 0University of Nebraska Medical Center 1 0 0 0

TOTAL 3924 676 400 1235

heart and lung programs at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; 30 chil-

dren in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center kidney program; 33 in the

heart, liver and lung divisions of Loma Linda University Children’s

Hospital; 15 teens in the pediatric ICU at UCI Irvine Medical Center;

and 25 teens at the pediatric ICU at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical

Center.

Many kids appreciated the presence of Atiba Harris and Gerson

Mayen, players for Major League Soccer’s Chivas USA, who signed

plenty of autographs in the process.

We really appreciate Donate Life giving us the opportunity to

brighten the day for many children during the holidays, said Harris,

who was deeply touched by the experience and surprised by the num-

ber of children who are waiting for a transplant.

Contributing time and effort to Donate Life Gives were

Embajadores Mina and Richard Gonzalez, Ana Maria Villalobos,

Claudia Estrada, Jes s and Icela Nava, Eva and Arnoldo Perez,

Suzanne Gonzalez and Laura Guzman.

Financial Incentives Might Expand Organ Donor PoolCOMMENTARY BY THOMAS MONE

In Los Angeles County and six neighboring counties, more than

6,000 people await donated kidneys to replace their own failing

organs. Nationally, the waiting list for those precious organs has

nearly 75,000 names on it. Unfortunately,

only a little more than one-fourth of that

number will have their needs met. The

others face an uncertain future that for

many will end in death.

This doesn’t have to happen. There are

literally millions of people in this country

who could make up that shortfall of 56,000

kidneys. Tests have long shown that

healthy human beings can function nor-

mally with just one of the two kidneys they were born with. So how

can more of those healthy people be motivated to give up a kidney?

At present, the satisfaction of helping others to survive is the

only reward that exists for organ donation in the United States. But

living donors are providing only about 6,000 kidneys a year (the rest

come from deceased donors). So it’s quite apparent that a stronger

incentive is needed.

It isn’t difficult to identify a stronger incentive. If potential

donors were offered cold, hard cash and made aware that they can

lead a normal life with a single kidney, there’s little doubt that the

donation rate would be much higher.

The United States

wouldn’t be breaking

any new ground if it

started authorizing

the purchase of kid-

neys. In at least three

c o u n t r i e s I r a n ,

Pakistan and the

Philippines paying

cash for kidneys has

been a standard practice for many years.

But to do so in this country would raise a number of concerns.

How much should be paid for a kidney - and who should pay it?

The recipient, or the government, via Medicare? A payment of

$5,000 would probably be sufficient to attract more than enough

Continued from Page 7

GIVES: Cheer for children

The Donate Life Gives committee gathers at OneLegacy’sCorporate office to organize the distribution of more than 200 toysfor area pediatric ICUs and transplant programs.

Please see INCENTIVES, Page 10

How can morehealthy people be motivated to give up a kidney?

KERN COUNTYBakersfield Heart Hospital 4 0 0 0Bakersfield Memorial Hospital 30 5 3 9Delano Regional Medical Center 3 0 0 0Kern Medical Center 68 10 8 32Mercy Hospital 82 10 7 24Mercy Southwest Hospital 1 0 0 0Mercy Westside Hospital 1 0 0 0Ridgecrest Regional Hospital 2 1 0 0San Joaquin Community Hospital 54 4 2 3

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - CENTRALAlhambra Hospital Medical Center 10 1 0 0Brotman Medical Center 3 0 0 0California Hospital Medical Center 49 14 4 13Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 83 18 11 41Century City Doctor's Hospital 2 0 0 0Children's Hospital Los Angeles 18 4 3 10Citrus Valley Intercommunity Hospital 3 0 0 0Citrus Valley Med Ctr - Queen of the Valley Campus 18 7 4 10East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital 1 0 0 0Garfield Medical Center 29 1 0 0Good Samaritan Hospital 32 6 0 0Greater El Monte Community Hospital 6 2 1 3Hollywood Community Hospital 1 0 0 0Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Med Ctr 18 1 0 0Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Med Ctr 64 10 4 9Kaiser Permanente West LA Med Ctr 22 2 1 1Kindred Hospital Santa Ana 1 0 0 0LAC + USC Medical Center 124 30 16 62Los Angeles Community Hospital 2 1 1 6Montclair Hospital Medical Center 1 0 0 0Monterey Park Hospital 1 0 0 0Olympia Medical Center 4 2 2 2Pacific Alliance Medical Center 2 1 0 0Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Ctr 44 9 4 7Promise Hospital of East LA, Suburban 1 0 0 0Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles 1 0 0 0Queen of Angels / Hollywood Presbyterian Med Ctr 13 2 1 3Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center 87 21 15 49San Dimas Community Hospital 1 0 0 0San Gabriel Valley Medical Center 7 2 0 0St. John's Hospital and Health Center 7 0 0 0St. Vincent Medical Center 5 0 0 0Tri-City Regional Medical Center 4 0 0 0UCLA Medical Center - Santa Monica 13 1 0 0USC University Hospital 23 1 1 4White Memorial Medical Center 22 6 3 7

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - NORTHAntelope Valley Hospital 58 9 7 16Encino Hospital Medical Center 7 1 1 3Foothill Presbyterian Hospital 14 1 0 0Glendale Adventist Medical Center 23 5 3 7Glendale Memorial Hosp & Health Ctr 14 3 2 5Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital 24 5 5 12Huntington Hospital 77 9 7 30Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Med Ctr 18 4 1 2Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Med Ctr 16 5 3 7

Organ Elig Organ OrgansRefer Refer Donors Tx’d

Hospital Referral Data

LA County Olive View / UCLA Med Ctr 4 2 2 7Lancaster Community Hospital 18 3 2 4Methodist Hospital of Southern California 27 5 2 2Mission Commty Hosp - Panorama City 7 4 4 5Northridge Hospital Medical Center 37 5 3 12Pacifica Hospital of the Valley Med Ctr 2 0 0 0Providence Holy Cross Medical Ctr 60 19 11 42Providence Tarzana Medical Center 2 1 1 1Sherman Oaks Hospital & Health Ctr 6 2 1 0St. Joseph Medical Center 61 5 2 5Valley Presbyterian Hospital 17 1 1 7Verdugo Hills Hospital 3 1 0 0Vista Specialty Hospital of San Gabriel Valley 1 1 0 0West Hills Regional Medical Center 8 3 1 1

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - SOUTHBeverly Hospital 26 3 1 2Centinela Freeman Reg Med Ctr, Memorial 11 5 2 1Centinela Hospital Medical Center 61 16 6 12Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital 4 1 0 0Downey Regional Medical Center 25 5 3 13Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Med Ctr 4 0 0 0Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Med Ctr 6 0 0 0Kindred Hospital La Mirada 1 0 0 0LA County Harbor-UCLA Med Ctr 61 21 13 36Lakewood Regional Hospital 14 2 1 4Little Company of Mary - San Pedro Hosp 22 1 0 0Little Company of Mary Hospital 30 7 4 3Long Beach Community Med Ctr 4 1 1 2Long Beach Memorial Med Ctr 54 15 10 34Los Angeles Community Hospital - Norwalk 1 0 0 0Marina del Rey Hospital 4 2 2 6Memorial Hospital of Gardena 18 4 1 3Miller Children's Hospital 20 7 4 13Pacific Hospital Long Beach 3 1 1 3Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital 23 5 1 0Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center 1 0 0 0St. Francis Medical Center 112 33 20 81St. Mary Medical Center 46 7 4 8Torrance Memorial Medical Center 61 3 1 3VA Hospital - Long Beach 2 0 0 0

ORANGE COUNTYAnaheim General Hospital 2 0 0 0Anaheim Memorial Medical Center 19 3 3 4Chapman Medical Center 9 1 1 2Childrens Hospital of Orange County 32 5 3 14CHOC at Mission 1 1 1 4Coastal Communities Hospital 11 1 0 0Fountain Valley Regional Hosp & Med Ctr 41 1 0 0Garden Grove Hospital & Med Ctr 12 1 0 0Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian 47 8 6 20Huntington Beach Hospital 3 1 1 2Irvine Regional Hospital & Med Ctr 11 1 1 0Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Med Ctr 45 5 4 11Kindred Hospital Ontario 2 0 0 0Kindred Hospital Westminster 4 0 0 0Los Alamitos Medical Center 15 5 3 4Mission Hospital Regional Med Ctr 31 9 9 19

Organ Elig Organ OrgansRefer Refer Donors Tx’d

14 O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 3S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y

Mendez NIT Labs Play Critical Support Role

BY ELENA DE LA CRUZ

The success of transplantation relies on many factors; a vital one

is the accurate and quick blood testing of deceased donors. For this

step, OneLegacy partners with the Mendez National Institute of

Transplantation (MNIT), which operates the largest donor laboratory

in the United States.

Unlike other med-

ical laboratories,

MNIT’s labs focus

exclusively on donor

serology, offering the

latest technology in

screening and practices that are critical for donation to safely occur

within very narrow time constraints.

MNIT has two laboratories that operate 24/7 year-round. The

MNIT Serology Laboratory, housed next to OneLegacy’s corporate

offices in downtown Los Angeles, processes the first blood test from

a donor after consent is given to identify known diseases and viruses

that could endanger the recipient of a transplanted organ.

The second lab, the MNIT HLA Laboratory, is also called the

matchmaker, as it is responsible for identifying safe and compatible

matches between organ donors and recipients. The HLA lab strives to

identify the best matches, which can result in life expectancy of a

transplanted organ up to 10 years longer in half of cases.

Once samples are received, testing begins quickly, within 12 min-

utes. This is a critical step because fast results allow organ recovery

and transplant to occur sooner, and also enable doctors to anticipate

and plan any additional therapies.

The technology used in the serology laboratory, which allows for

detection of diseases and viruses present even in very small amounts,

along with their rapid testing turnaround time, has made MNIT the

premier lab of its kind in the U.S., contracted not only by OneLegacy

but also all organ recovery organizations in the continental U.S. west

of Colorado.

At other general labs, some of the testing would take a lot more

time, explained James Schellenberg, Chief Operating Officer of the

Mendez National Institute of Transplantation at the S. Mark Taper

Foundation Transplant Center. We also help interpret results to make

crucial decisions.

Our lab technicians get the satisfaction that they might not get in

other labs because they are part of the process of transplantation, said

Schellenberg. They know someone is on the operating table depend-

ing on the results. It’s a big motivator.

The two laboratories contribute to MNIT’s mission to advance the

science and technology of transplantation through research. We have

years and years of blood samples that allow us to do important retro-

spective studies to make the process of transplantation safer, added

Schellenberg.

If a trend emerges from donor testing - for instance, the appear-

ance of a virus like Chagas - MNIT’s research can establish the extent

of the threat and implement new additional testing in the future.

Because efforts to improve transplantation require patients to be

compliant with their post-transplant treatments, MNIT’s mission also

focuses on education. Their One-on-One Renal Disease Education

Program trains transplant recipients to inform dialysis patients about

the treatment options of transplantation, to educate patients about the

tremendous commitment needed to care for a transplanted organ, and

to assist them in becoming more proactive in their healthcare.

Through lab testing, research and education, MNIT plays a quiet

but essential role in making transplantation successful.

mitted in this country, a huge percentage of the donors would be

poor people. And if the recipients of kidneys, and not the govern-

ment, were paying for them, the practice would be viewed by many

Americans as allowing the rich to take advantage of the poor.

Such a perception would indeed be unfortunate. But it would not

be the worst-case scenario. It is possible that potential donors of

other organs — liver, heart, lungs, pancreas and small intestine —

would react negatively upon learning that people were being paid

for their kidneys. It might be that fewer drivers would sign up as

potential donors when getting or renewing their licenses because

they assumed that paid donors were filling the need.

Well aware of all of the questions and issues involved in this

matter, most of us in the field of organ donation and transplantation

are reluctant to call for a nationwide effort to pay for kidney dona-

tion. I believe the best way to proceed would be with small-scale

pilot programs that offer donors lifetime insurance coverage and see

what the effect would be.

Only if deceased and living donation improve across all socio-

economic groups should such incentives be expanded and

encouraged.

Thomas Mone is Chief Executive Officer and Executive VicePresident of OneLegacy. This article originally published in the LosAngeles Business Journal.

California USA

Kidney 16,083 78,997Liver 3,438 15,764Pancreas 136 1,548Kidney/Pancreas 475 2,276Heart 222 2,786Lung 182 1,964Heart/Lung 12 83Intestine 27 215

Total 20,091 101,224

for a part of Quentin to live on through the salvation of others.

The Ronald McDonald House provided rooms for our family and

a shuttle to and from the hospital. It was on this shuttle that family

members saw a jaundiced and very sick little girl. Asking around, we

learned the story of Maria, whose mother struggled to bring her to

Loma Linda for treatment and who was desperately in need of a liver

transplant. We requested that Maria receive Quentin’s liver and as fate

would have it, they were perfect matches.

I kept a journal throughout the ordeal, and in the very early morn-

ing of December 26, I wrote this entry:

We left you just now with the organ donation people. As we leftthe hospital, a chopper was landing on the roof as it did with you. Itwas almost poetic in a tragic sort of way. Ours was just one beat ofan unending rhythm. Some with a positive outcome, some negative -but the churn is happening everywhere 24X7. Right now the Hispanicgirl from the Ronald McDonald house is on an operating table andyou are about to save her life. Right now her mother is crying tears ofjoy and hopefully HER story will end well.

On Christmas day, Quentin passed and valiantly gave his own life

to save two individuals he didn’t know. We will never have the pride

of a high school graduation or wedding ceremony, but the pride we

feel for Quentin as a result of this gift helps to soothe the pain if only

a little bit.

The wind gently whispers your name, night fills your thoughts witha blanket of dew may the moon be your guide and night timemake all of your wishes come true.

Organ & Tissue Donation DataFollowing are key OneLegacy performance indicators for the 2008. (Source: OneLegacy data)

Continued from Page 1

QUENTIN: “You are about to save her life”

ORGAN TRANSPLANTWAITING LIST DATA

Source: UNOS. Based on OPTN data as of March 27, 2009

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec TOTAL

Organ Donors 39 31 33 31 38 26 33 32 34 30 33 41 400

Tissue Donors 138 107 116 103 123 116 121 125 120 122 149 169 1,509

Ocular-Only Donors 22 31 30 38 31 34 37 31 43 55 37 65 454

Kidneys Transplanted 62 46 45 54 51 41 51 45 59 45 44 62 605

Hearts Transplanted 14 7 12 12 10 11 11 10 16 10 13 12 138

Livers Transplanted 31 24 27 26 25 17 23 26 26 21 24 26 296

Lungs Transplanted 16 8 10 12 11 5 14 9 16 12 7 15 135

Pancreata Transplanted 5 3 9 4 3 4 6 7 9 4 3 3 54

Small Int. Transplanted 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6

Organs Transplanted 128 89 104 110 101 78 105 97 120 93 91 119 1,235

Organs Transplanted Per Donor 3.28 2.87 3.15 3.44 2.66 3.12 3.09 3.13 3.53 3.10 2.76 2.98 3.09

Organs Recovered for Research 8 16 12 9 13 1 5 3 4 9 5 8 93

Consent Rate 73.8% 66.0% 68.3% 76.4% 60.1% 61.7% 61.3% 68.6% 74.6% 54.7% 58.7% 58.7% 64.7%

Conversion Rate 75.0% 70.4% 64.7% 76.2% 61.3% 61.0% 61.8% 64.6% 77.3% 47.6% 58.9% 58.9% 63.9%

Save The Date!

Hospital staff are invited to attend

”Celebrating Our Partners“Donation and Transplantation Conference

and Awards CeremonyWednesday, May 20, 2009Downtown L.A. Marriott

Topics includeImproving Conversion Rates • Kidney Exchanges

Donation After Cardiac Death • Applications of Donated Tissue plus 2010 Donate Life Rose Parade Float Sneak Preview

For more information, contact Carla Hentz at chentz@onelegacy.org

Nina Astor helps Maria, the recipient of of Quentin’s liver, decorate the floragraph of her son. Below, Maria’s and Quentin’sfamilies pose in front of the Donate Life Rose Parade float withthe completed floragraph, which was sponsored by Loma LindaUniversity Medical Center.

13S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y

Continued from Page 10

INCENTIVES

O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 94

6 O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

(1) Candi Sosa performs her signature song “Gracias a la Vida” (“ThankYou for Life”) in honor of Latino donors and their families. Sharing theirpersonal stories of courage in the face of adversity are (2) LeiaunaAnderson, whose liver transplant made it possible for her to become amother, and (3) Pam Charron, mother of ten-year-old donor Anthony.

Hundreds of Organ, TissueDonor Families WalkThrough ‘Fields of Gold’OneLegacy’s annual “Fields of Gold” Donor RemembranceCeremonies are a March tradition. This year, 230 organ and tissuedonors were honored by 1,300 family members at five events:UCLA, Loma Linda University, The Grand in Long Beach, theDoubletree Bakersfield, and a Spanish-language program atLuminarias in Monterey Park. Musical performances, donor familyand recipient speakers, and moving video tributes left families feel-ing close to their loved ones and appreciated for their decisions todonate life. Each program closed fittingly with a reading of thepoem “We Remember Them.”

2 3

1

A national report card prepared by Donate Life America shows an

increase of nine million donor designations over the last 18 months,

bringing the total number of registered donors in the United States to

nearly 80 million. By the end of May, California will have registered

five million designated donors.

Forty-six states and the

District of Columbia have first

person consent registries that

record legally binding decisions

of registered donors whose

choice can only be revoked by

that individual. The essential

role of state donor registries is

demonstrated by their impact on organ, tissue and eye recovery

nationwide:

At least 2,205 recovered organ donors, or 25.2 percent of the total

(vs. 19.1 percent in 2007), had joined their state donor registry before

their death. Since on average more than three organs are transplanted

per donor, an estimated 7,000 lives were saved by recovered desig-

nated donors.

A reported 8,239 recovered tissue donors, or 27.2 percent of the

total (vs. 26.7 percent in 2007), had joined their state registry before

their death. Given that the tissues from one donor can improve the

lives of 50 people or more, it is estimated that 2008 s donors saved or

healed the lives of more than 400,000 people.

U.S. Registered Donors

Up 9 Million Since 2007

Donate Life California Registry DataEnrollment as of March 31, 2009: 4,607,299

Donor Designation Rate, Q1 2009: 24.8%

Registered Donors Recovered in California

Organ % of Tissue % ofYear Donors Total Donors Total

2006 4 0.4% 26 1.4%

2007 33 4.0% 75 2.9%

2008 98 11.9% 183 6.4%

* Percentage of individuals enrolling in the state donor registryvia the DMV as a percentage of all DLs and IDs issued

DONATE LIFE ROSE PARADE FLOATApproximately 105 media stories focusing on Donate Life’s sixthRose Parade float entry appeared in the greater LA market:

Rose Parade Broadcasters

Nat’l TV: ABC, NBC, HGTV, Travel Channel, Unvision

Reg. TV: KTLA-5/Syndication, RFD (Midwest)

General

Reg. Newsp: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (2x), LA Daily News (2x),Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, PasadenaStar-News (3x), Press-Enterprise (2x), San BernardinoCounty Sun, San Gabriel Valley Tribune (4x), SantaBarbara News-Press (2x), Ventura County Star (2x)

Loc. Newsp: Antelope Valley Press, Brea-La Habra Star-Progress(2x), Californian (SW Riverside) (2x), Friday Flyer(Canyon Lake) (2x), La Canada Valley Sun (2x),Whittier Daily News (3x)

TV: KABC-7 (7x), KCAL-9 (2x), KCBS-2, KTLA-5 (CW),KTTV-11 (FOX) (2x), KGET-17 (NBC) Bakersfield (2x),KEYT-3 (ABC) Santa Barbara, KMIR-6 (NBC) PalmSprings (2x)

Radio: KABC Radio, KFWB News 980, KKLA 99.5FM (2x),KLOS 95.5FM, KOST 103.5FM (2x), KPCC 89.3FM

Spanish

Print: Hoy (2x), La Opinion (2x), MAS (Bakersfield)

TV: KAZA-54 (3x), KMEX-34 (Univision) (2x), KVEA-52(Telemundo) (2x), KWHY-22 (Telemundo), KRCA-62,Mega-TV (National), Univision (National) (4x)

Asian

Print: China Press, Chinese Daily News (2x), Sing Tao Daily(2x), Taiwan Daily, Nguoi Viet Daily News

Nat’l TV: Great Love TV, IB Live TV, Phoenix TV (2x), KXLA-44Saigon TV, Sky Link TV (2x), CTI Zhong Tien TV,

Radio: AM 1300/AM1600 (3x)

Summary of Coverage

LOS ANGELES TV Radio Newsp Mag ALLGeneral Market: 21 0 35 2 62Spanish: 14 1 4 0 19Asian: 9 3 11 0 24Total: 44 4 50 2 111

NATIONWIDE TV Radio Newsp Mag ALLGeneral Market: 84 13 144 5 259Spanish: 14 3 5 0 23Asian: 9 4 12 0 26Total: 125 20 161 5 308

Donation in the Media

S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y 11

donors to erase the current shortage of 45,000 kidneys a year.

Or, instead of a fixed amount for the kidney itself, should the

payment also cover expenses for hospitalization and recovery? And

what about wages lost by the donor during the donation and recov-

ery period? Should donors get guaranteed insurance coverage rather

than cash?

But these technical questions pale in comparison to other issues

that would be involved in paying for kidney donations.

A major concern is whether this country would be creating an

organ-growing class. In Iran, according to a recent study, 81 percent

of those who were paid for kidney donations are illiterate. They use

the money they make from selling their kidneys to eke out a living.

In India, the literacy rate among kidney donors is a little higher

but most are very poor. A recently published study of kidney dona-

tion in that country found that although donors might receive $5,000

to $10,000 for a kidney, little if any of that sum was used to improve

their lot or that of their families; 70 percent to 80 percent went to

repay debts.

This is not to suggest that paying for kidneys in America would

create a new layer of economic stratification. Few in this country are

as poor as in the countries that allow and encourage kidney dona-

tion. But there is little doubt that if payment for donation were per-

and more than double the total from 2006. Tissue recovery includes

corneas, skin for burn dressings, bone for fractures and to prevent

amputation, heart valves, tendons, and veins for cardiac bypass sur-

gery.

Most tissue recovered by OneLegacy eventually returns to our

area for use in medical procedures, said Mone. Given that corneas,

bone and skin from a single donor can save and heal up to 50 people,

we are proud to contribute to the wellness of so many in our diverse

communities.

Notably, in the fourth quarter of 2008, nearly 20% of organs recov-

ered by OneLegacy were from donors who had signed up on the

Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry, which is co-

managed by OneLegacy and the state’s three other organ recovery

agencies. Donate Life California has enrolled more than 4.6 million

designated donors since 2005, with another one million joining every

six months.

We are seeing real progress, said Mone. Thanks to the gen-

erosity of Southern California donors and their families and the skill

of healthcare professionals, waiting lists for all organs except kidneys

are static or declining, the consent rate is at an all-time high, and tis-

sue donation is rapidly expanding in our service area, said Mone.

However, the need for donated organs and tissues is ongoing. We will

continue to expand our capabilities to ensure that donor families and

transplant recipients, their families and our community as a whole

benefit from the gift of organ, eye and tissue donation.

7S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y10 O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

Continued from Page 1

2008: Tissue Sets Record OneLegacy Tissue Recovery Techs Serve in Iraq

BY ELENA DE LA CRUZ

Jamel Blount and Scott Henton first met in

the same National Guard platoon. Later they

worked together as tissue recovery technicians

for OneLegacy. Now they are back together, but

this time on a six-month tour of duty in Iraq.

Henton, married and father of four, took a

leave from his position in OneLegacy in the mid-

dle of March, shortly after receiving orders to

deploy. Blount had already been called to duty a

few months earlier, but returned briefly with

special permission to visit his fianc and new-

born baby daughter.

As they both shared, it was the medical train-

ing they received as soldiers that first oriented

them into the area of tissue recovery. As a sol-

dier you get a lot of training on how to save

lives, draw blood, put in an IV, and fix a fracture.

We have the basics down, says Henton.

Blount, who was a medical technician during

a previous tour of duty in Iraq, says the war pre-

pared him for his job at OneLegacy. I’ve seen

every type of injury you can possibly think of; it

is helpful in my work with OneLegacy. I helped

soldiers that needed saphenous veins, skin and

bone grafts. I am glad that in my work

I am able to recover tissue that could

help soldiers recover from injuries.

Henton noted one major differ-

ence in the work environments.

When I was doing medical stuff in

the military it was all dirt and dust,

never as sterile as the work we do for

OneLegacy!

For now, both are not directly

involved in anything remotely related

to tissue recovery.

As infantry in charge of convoy security,

our mission is to protect military and civilian

assets on the highways, said Blount.

Colleagues support their service to our coun-

try and OneLegacy. They are both very good

workers, and upon their return they will be wel-

comed back with open arms, said Aaron Cohen,

Manager of Recovery and Technical Services.

Embajadores and Chivas USA Bring Holiday CheerBY ELENA DE LA CRUZ

Kidney recipient Sergio Gomez knows how

tough it is to spend Christmas in a hospital, but

seeing children in that position was even

tougher. His desire to bring these children holi-

day cheer led him to create Donate Life Gives.

Donate Life Gives is an initiative of

Embajadores de Done Vida, the Spanish-speak-

ing arm of OneLegacy’s volunteer program. The

program collects gifts for children waiting for

transplants or under treatment in dialysis centers

during the holidays, giving them hope and cheer

during a special time of the year. The gift is

twofold: in addition to an age-appropriate toy,

they get a personal visit from transplant recipi-

ents who embody their hope for the future.

Thanks to the generous dona-

tion of donor parents Jayne and

Peter Stanyon’s Heart to Heart

Foundation of Canyon Lake and

others. A team of indefatigable

Embajadores led by Gomez and

OneLegacy Latino Community

Development Coordinator Sonia

Navarro along with members of

soccer team Chivas USA, deliv-

ered more than 200 presents to

children in December.

The toys were distributed to 90

pediatric patients in the dialysis

center, pediatric ICU and liver,

OneLegacy employees Scott Henton, abovewith his family, and Jamel Blount are current-ly serving our country on a six-month tour ofduty in Iraq.

Please see GIVES, Page 15

Chivas USA player Ativa Harris cheers a youngdialysis patient during a Donate Life Gives toydistribution. The Chivas USA jersey signed bypatients at the various hospitals was worn bySergio Gomez during his ride on the DonateLife float in the 2009 Rose Parade.

Continued from Page 2

INCENTIVES

In Iran, they use the money theymake from selling their kidneys to eke out a living.

Please see INCENTIVES, Page 13

8 O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

(1) Four of nearly 1,000 volunteer decorators sit atop scaffolding todecorate “Stars of Life”. (2) One of the float’s 1,277 dedicatedroses honors a donor. (3) LAPD Chief William Bratton and LosAngeles County Sheriff Lee Baca place dedicated roses in honorof law enforcement officers touched by organ and tissue donation.(4) The 26-strong float rider Class of 2009 poses for the traditionallineup photo minutes before their journey down Colorado Blvd. (5) “Stars of Life” passes in front of the media grandstands, stun-ning the crowd and viewers at home with its groundbreakingdesign and meaningful purpose. (6) Center for Donation &Transplant float rider and donor father Jim Carter of Vermont car-ries a photo of his daughter Andrea on his five-mile journey. (7) St. Joseph Hospital float rider and kidney recipient AudreyVasquez of Orange County waves to some of the estimated onemillion parade spectators. (Photos 2-7 by Scott Weersing)

’Stars of Life‘ Shine at 2009 Rose ParadeThe Donate Life community's sixthRose Parade float entry, “Stars of Life,”was honored with its second consecu-tive award: the Queen’s Trophy for mosteffective use of roses. Thanks to theefforts of 60 organizations and thou-sands of individuals nationwide, 308media stories published nationwideabout the Donate Life float and its 26riders, 38 floragraph honorees, 14 Walkof Fame honorees, 1,277 dedicatedroses, and hundreds of decorators. TheDonate Life Float Committee is currently developing the float design for the2010 Rose Parade, themed “2010: A Cut Above The Rest.”

More photos and video are posted online at www.donatelifefloat.org.32

1

5

4

6 7

Reflecting on Pasadena: A Donor Mother s Journey

BY KIM MORSCHING

A week after my return from riding on

the Donate Life float in the 2009 Rose

Parade, I am still at a loss for the words to

describe my experience. Words like pro-

found, humbled, awed, beautiful, emo-

tional, and incredible, and phrases like

life changing, do not begin to describe my

experience. If I wanted to describe the

incredible beauty of the floats or the per-

fume of the flowers or the blueness of the

sky and the perfect weather of parade day,

I think I could find the words, but mere

words don’t seem powerful enough to

convey the emotion I still feel.

I am fairly new to this experience of

loss and organ donation, having only lost

my son, Kevin, 16 months ago. I remem-

ber thinking (when we lost Kevin) that I

could actually see angels. Sure, they had a

human form: nurses, doctors, organ dona-

tion staff, but I wasn’t fooled. You know

those people who do the job of assisting

you or your loved one so selflessly that

their job disappears and all you see is a

human being helping another human

being.

My ability to see them clearly has

dimmed with the months, but it was

renewed when working with all the indi-

viduals who saw to all the details of our

trip. From my sponsor, Musculoskeletal

Transplant Foundation, to the Donate Life

float operations staff, and even the float

builder, Phoenix Decorating, I am sure

that I was in the presence of a lifetime’s

worth of angels.

I had read all of the stories on the

donatelifefloat.org website. I cried over

every one of them. Their stories of loss,

life and contribution are so empowering.

These individuals can and are changing

our world for the better. I was so humbled

to be included amongst them. I wanted to

meet each person and soak up their gifts.

I learned from Steve a new level of enthu-

siasm; from Jose and Theresa, ways to

inspire the community; from Susan, fear-

lessness; from Mary, gentleness; from

Sergio, connecting with people; from

Randi; facing and accepting life experi-

ences; from Ruth, Ron and Peter, friend-

ship; from Lily, , inclusiveness; from Jim,

kindness; and from Eric and Jenna,

strength of family. I can’t imagine what

else I would have learned given more

time to connect with the rest of the float

riders and floragraph families.

I was greatly unprepared for the emo-

tion I felt while riding on the float. I did

not realize how much of a connection I

would make with people lining the parade

route. I was particularly touched by the

women in the crowd. As I passed by, hold-

ing a picture of my son, I could see tears in

their eyes. Many touched their hearts or

their lips and then held their hand out to

me. In that second, we connected - woman

to woman, mother to mother. It was beau-

tiful, intense and profound.

A week after my return I am still in

awe. I will forever be changed by my expe-

rience. The challenges that recipients face,

the continued giving of donor families, and

the generous spirits of those involved with

donation organizations will be with me for-

ever. I don’t think that I can ever accurate-

ly share my experience with words, but I

hope that people will see the effect of my

time in Pasadena in my actions.

Kim Morsching lives in Rapid City,S.D. Her website heroesripple.com provides resources to people who havelost a loved one.

I was greatlyunprepared forthe emotion I feltwhile riding onthe float.

9S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y

Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation (MTF)sponsored Kim Morsching’s ride aboard the2009 Donate Life Rose Parade float ‘Stars ofLife’ in memory of her son Kevin, a tissuedonor.

8 O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

(1) Four of nearly 1,000 volunteer decorators sit atop scaffolding todecorate “Stars of Life”. (2) One of the float’s 1,277 dedicatedroses honors a donor. (3) LAPD Chief William Bratton and LosAngeles County Sheriff Lee Baca place dedicated roses in honorof law enforcement officers touched by organ and tissue donation.(4) The 26-strong float rider Class of 2009 poses for the traditionallineup photo minutes before their journey down Colorado Blvd. (5) “Stars of Life” passes in front of the media grandstands, stun-ning the crowd and viewers at home with its groundbreakingdesign and meaningful purpose. (6) Center for Donation &Transplant float rider and donor father Jim Carter of Vermont car-ries a photo of his daughter Andrea on his five-mile journey. (7) St. Joseph Hospital float rider and kidney recipient AudreyVasquez of Orange County waves to some of the estimated onemillion parade spectators. (Photos 2-7 by Scott Weersing)

’Stars of Life‘ Shine at 2009 Rose ParadeThe Donate Life community's sixthRose Parade float entry, “Stars of Life,”was honored with its second consecu-tive award: the Queen’s Trophy for mosteffective use of roses. Thanks to theefforts of 60 organizations and thou-sands of individuals nationwide, 308media stories published nationwideabout the Donate Life float and its 26riders, 38 floragraph honorees, 14 Walkof Fame honorees, 1,277 dedicatedroses, and hundreds of decorators. TheDonate Life Float Committee is currently developing the float design for the2010 Rose Parade, themed “2010: A Cut Above The Rest.”

More photos and video are posted online at www.donatelifefloat.org.32

1

5

4

6 7

Reflecting on Pasadena: A Donor Mother s Journey

BY KIM MORSCHING

A week after my return from riding on

the Donate Life float in the 2009 Rose

Parade, I am still at a loss for the words to

describe my experience. Words like pro-

found, humbled, awed, beautiful, emo-

tional, and incredible, and phrases like

life changing, do not begin to describe my

experience. If I wanted to describe the

incredible beauty of the floats or the per-

fume of the flowers or the blueness of the

sky and the perfect weather of parade day,

I think I could find the words, but mere

words don’t seem powerful enough to

convey the emotion I still feel.

I am fairly new to this experience of

loss and organ donation, having only lost

my son, Kevin, 16 months ago. I remem-

ber thinking (when we lost Kevin) that I

could actually see angels. Sure, they had a

human form: nurses, doctors, organ dona-

tion staff, but I wasn’t fooled. You know

those people who do the job of assisting

you or your loved one so selflessly that

their job disappears and all you see is a

human being helping another human

being.

My ability to see them clearly has

dimmed with the months, but it was

renewed when working with all the indi-

viduals who saw to all the details of our

trip. From my sponsor, Musculoskeletal

Transplant Foundation, to the Donate Life

float operations staff, and even the float

builder, Phoenix Decorating, I am sure

that I was in the presence of a lifetime’s

worth of angels.

I had read all of the stories on the

donatelifefloat.org website. I cried over

every one of them. Their stories of loss,

life and contribution are so empowering.

These individuals can and are changing

our world for the better. I was so humbled

to be included amongst them. I wanted to

meet each person and soak up their gifts.

I learned from Steve a new level of enthu-

siasm; from Jose and Theresa, ways to

inspire the community; from Susan, fear-

lessness; from Mary, gentleness; from

Sergio, connecting with people; from

Randi; facing and accepting life experi-

ences; from Ruth, Ron and Peter, friend-

ship; from Lily, , inclusiveness; from Jim,

kindness; and from Eric and Jenna,

strength of family. I can’t imagine what

else I would have learned given more

time to connect with the rest of the float

riders and floragraph families.

I was greatly unprepared for the emo-

tion I felt while riding on the float. I did

not realize how much of a connection I

would make with people lining the parade

route. I was particularly touched by the

women in the crowd. As I passed by, hold-

ing a picture of my son, I could see tears in

their eyes. Many touched their hearts or

their lips and then held their hand out to

me. In that second, we connected - woman

to woman, mother to mother. It was beau-

tiful, intense and profound.

A week after my return I am still in

awe. I will forever be changed by my expe-

rience. The challenges that recipients face,

the continued giving of donor families, and

the generous spirits of those involved with

donation organizations will be with me for-

ever. I don’t think that I can ever accurate-

ly share my experience with words, but I

hope that people will see the effect of my

time in Pasadena in my actions.

Kim Morsching lives in Rapid City,S.D. Her website heroesripple.com provides resources to people who havelost a loved one.

I was greatlyunprepared forthe emotion I feltwhile riding onthe float.

9S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y

Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation (MTF)sponsored Kim Morsching’s ride aboard the2009 Donate Life Rose Parade float ‘Stars ofLife’ in memory of her son Kevin, a tissuedonor.

donors to erase the current shortage of 45,000 kidneys a year.

Or, instead of a fixed amount for the kidney itself, should the

payment also cover expenses for hospitalization and recovery? And

what about wages lost by the donor during the donation and recov-

ery period? Should donors get guaranteed insurance coverage rather

than cash?

But these technical questions pale in comparison to other issues

that would be involved in paying for kidney donations.

A major concern is whether this country would be creating an

organ-growing class. In Iran, according to a recent study, 81 percent

of those who were paid for kidney donations are illiterate. They use

the money they make from selling their kidneys to eke out a living.

In India, the literacy rate among kidney donors is a little higher

but most are very poor. A recently published study of kidney dona-

tion in that country found that although donors might receive $5,000

to $10,000 for a kidney, little if any of that sum was used to improve

their lot or that of their families; 70 percent to 80 percent went to

repay debts.

This is not to suggest that paying for kidneys in America would

create a new layer of economic stratification. Few in this country are

as poor as in the countries that allow and encourage kidney dona-

tion. But there is little doubt that if payment for donation were per-

and more than double the total from 2006. Tissue recovery includes

corneas, skin for burn dressings, bone for fractures and to prevent

amputation, heart valves, tendons, and veins for cardiac bypass sur-

gery.

Most tissue recovered by OneLegacy eventually returns to our

area for use in medical procedures, said Mone. Given that corneas,

bone and skin from a single donor can save and heal up to 50 people,

we are proud to contribute to the wellness of so many in our diverse

communities.

Notably, in the fourth quarter of 2008, nearly 20% of organs recov-

ered by OneLegacy were from donors who had signed up on the

Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry, which is co-

managed by OneLegacy and the state’s three other organ recovery

agencies. Donate Life California has enrolled more than 4.6 million

designated donors since 2005, with another one million joining every

six months.

We are seeing real progress, said Mone. Thanks to the gen-

erosity of Southern California donors and their families and the skill

of healthcare professionals, waiting lists for all organs except kidneys

are static or declining, the consent rate is at an all-time high, and tis-

sue donation is rapidly expanding in our service area, said Mone.

However, the need for donated organs and tissues is ongoing. We will

continue to expand our capabilities to ensure that donor families and

transplant recipients, their families and our community as a whole

benefit from the gift of organ, eye and tissue donation.

7S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y10 O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

Continued from Page 1

2008: Tissue Sets Record OneLegacy Tissue Recovery Techs Serve in Iraq

BY ELENA DE LA CRUZ

Jamel Blount and Scott Henton first met in

the same National Guard platoon. Later they

worked together as tissue recovery technicians

for OneLegacy. Now they are back together, but

this time on a six-month tour of duty in Iraq.

Henton, married and father of four, took a

leave from his position in OneLegacy in the mid-

dle of March, shortly after receiving orders to

deploy. Blount had already been called to duty a

few months earlier, but returned briefly with

special permission to visit his fianc and new-

born baby daughter.

As they both shared, it was the medical train-

ing they received as soldiers that first oriented

them into the area of tissue recovery. As a sol-

dier you get a lot of training on how to save

lives, draw blood, put in an IV, and fix a fracture.

We have the basics down, says Henton.

Blount, who was a medical technician during

a previous tour of duty in Iraq, says the war pre-

pared him for his job at OneLegacy. I’ve seen

every type of injury you can possibly think of; it

is helpful in my work with OneLegacy. I helped

soldiers that needed saphenous veins, skin and

bone grafts. I am glad that in my work

I am able to recover tissue that could

help soldiers recover from injuries.

Henton noted one major differ-

ence in the work environments.

When I was doing medical stuff in

the military it was all dirt and dust,

never as sterile as the work we do for

OneLegacy!

For now, both are not directly

involved in anything remotely related

to tissue recovery.

As infantry in charge of convoy security,

our mission is to protect military and civilian

assets on the highways, said Blount.

Colleagues support their service to our coun-

try and OneLegacy. They are both very good

workers, and upon their return they will be wel-

comed back with open arms, said Aaron Cohen,

Manager of Recovery and Technical Services.

Embajadores and Chivas USA Bring Holiday CheerBY ELENA DE LA CRUZ

Kidney recipient Sergio Gomez knows how

tough it is to spend Christmas in a hospital, but

seeing children in that position was even

tougher. His desire to bring these children holi-

day cheer led him to create Donate Life Gives.

Donate Life Gives is an initiative of

Embajadores de Done Vida, the Spanish-speak-

ing arm of OneLegacy’s volunteer program. The

program collects gifts for children waiting for

transplants or under treatment in dialysis centers

during the holidays, giving them hope and cheer

during a special time of the year. The gift is

twofold: in addition to an age-appropriate toy,

they get a personal visit from transplant recipi-

ents who embody their hope for the future.

Thanks to the generous dona-

tion of donor parents Jayne and

Peter Stanyon’s Heart to Heart

Foundation of Canyon Lake and

others. A team of indefatigable

Embajadores led by Gomez and

OneLegacy Latino Community

Development Coordinator Sonia

Navarro along with members of

soccer team Chivas USA, deliv-

ered more than 200 presents to

children in December.

The toys were distributed to 90

pediatric patients in the dialysis

center, pediatric ICU and liver,

OneLegacy employees Scott Henton, abovewith his family, and Jamel Blount are current-ly serving our country on a six-month tour ofduty in Iraq.

Please see GIVES, Page 15

Chivas USA player Ativa Harris cheers a youngdialysis patient during a Donate Life Gives toydistribution. The Chivas USA jersey signed bypatients at the various hospitals was worn bySergio Gomez during his ride on the DonateLife float in the 2009 Rose Parade.

Continued from Page 2

INCENTIVES

In Iran, they use the money theymake from selling their kidneys to eke out a living.

Please see INCENTIVES, Page 13

6 O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

(1) Candi Sosa performs her signature song “Gracias a la Vida” (“ThankYou for Life”) in honor of Latino donors and their families. Sharing theirpersonal stories of courage in the face of adversity are (2) LeiaunaAnderson, whose liver transplant made it possible for her to become amother, and (3) Pam Charron, mother of ten-year-old donor Anthony.

Hundreds of Organ, TissueDonor Families WalkThrough ‘Fields of Gold’OneLegacy’s annual “Fields of Gold” Donor RemembranceCeremonies are a March tradition. This year, 230 organ and tissuedonors were honored by 1,300 family members at five events:UCLA, Loma Linda University, The Grand in Long Beach, theDoubletree Bakersfield, and a Spanish-language program atLuminarias in Monterey Park. Musical performances, donor familyand recipient speakers, and moving video tributes left families feel-ing close to their loved ones and appreciated for their decisions todonate life. Each program closed fittingly with a reading of thepoem “We Remember Them.”

2 3

1

A national report card prepared by Donate Life America shows an

increase of nine million donor designations over the last 18 months,

bringing the total number of registered donors in the United States to

nearly 80 million. By the end of May, California will have registered

five million designated donors.

Forty-six states and the

District of Columbia have first

person consent registries that

record legally binding decisions

of registered donors whose

choice can only be revoked by

that individual. The essential

role of state donor registries is

demonstrated by their impact on organ, tissue and eye recovery

nationwide:

At least 2,205 recovered organ donors, or 25.2 percent of the total

(vs. 19.1 percent in 2007), had joined their state donor registry before

their death. Since on average more than three organs are transplanted

per donor, an estimated 7,000 lives were saved by recovered desig-

nated donors.

A reported 8,239 recovered tissue donors, or 27.2 percent of the

total (vs. 26.7 percent in 2007), had joined their state registry before

their death. Given that the tissues from one donor can improve the

lives of 50 people or more, it is estimated that 2008 s donors saved or

healed the lives of more than 400,000 people.

U.S. Registered Donors

Up 9 Million Since 2007

Donate Life California Registry DataEnrollment as of March 31, 2009: 4,607,299

Donor Designation Rate, Q1 2009: 24.8%

Registered Donors Recovered in California

Organ % of Tissue % ofYear Donors Total Donors Total

2006 4 0.4% 26 1.4%

2007 33 4.0% 75 2.9%

2008 98 11.9% 183 6.4%

* Percentage of individuals enrolling in the state donor registryvia the DMV as a percentage of all DLs and IDs issued

DONATE LIFE ROSE PARADE FLOATApproximately 105 media stories focusing on Donate Life’s sixthRose Parade float entry appeared in the greater LA market:

Rose Parade Broadcasters

Nat’l TV: ABC, NBC, HGTV, Travel Channel, Unvision

Reg. TV: KTLA-5/Syndication, RFD (Midwest)

General

Reg. Newsp: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (2x), LA Daily News (2x),Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, PasadenaStar-News (3x), Press-Enterprise (2x), San BernardinoCounty Sun, San Gabriel Valley Tribune (4x), SantaBarbara News-Press (2x), Ventura County Star (2x)

Loc. Newsp: Antelope Valley Press, Brea-La Habra Star-Progress(2x), Californian (SW Riverside) (2x), Friday Flyer(Canyon Lake) (2x), La Canada Valley Sun (2x),Whittier Daily News (3x)

TV: KABC-7 (7x), KCAL-9 (2x), KCBS-2, KTLA-5 (CW),KTTV-11 (FOX) (2x), KGET-17 (NBC) Bakersfield (2x),KEYT-3 (ABC) Santa Barbara, KMIR-6 (NBC) PalmSprings (2x)

Radio: KABC Radio, KFWB News 980, KKLA 99.5FM (2x),KLOS 95.5FM, KOST 103.5FM (2x), KPCC 89.3FM

Spanish

Print: Hoy (2x), La Opinion (2x), MAS (Bakersfield)

TV: KAZA-54 (3x), KMEX-34 (Univision) (2x), KVEA-52(Telemundo) (2x), KWHY-22 (Telemundo), KRCA-62,Mega-TV (National), Univision (National) (4x)

Asian

Print: China Press, Chinese Daily News (2x), Sing Tao Daily(2x), Taiwan Daily, Nguoi Viet Daily News

Nat’l TV: Great Love TV, IB Live TV, Phoenix TV (2x), KXLA-44Saigon TV, Sky Link TV (2x), CTI Zhong Tien TV,

Radio: AM 1300/AM1600 (3x)

Summary of Coverage

LOS ANGELES TV Radio Newsp Mag ALLGeneral Market: 21 0 35 2 62Spanish: 14 1 4 0 19Asian: 9 3 11 0 24Total: 44 4 50 2 111

NATIONWIDE TV Radio Newsp Mag ALLGeneral Market: 84 13 144 5 259Spanish: 14 3 5 0 23Asian: 9 4 12 0 26Total: 125 20 161 5 308

Donation in the Media

S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y 11

The observance of National

Donate Life Month in the

Southland kicked off with the

5th Annual Frankie Hernandez

Legacy of Life Baseball

Tournament on March 28-29 in

North Hollywood.

The youth baseball tourna-

ment honors Frankie Hernandez

(right), an All-Star baseball play-

er from Arleta, who became an

organ donor in 2005 at age nine.

Participants included 20 elite competitive-level teams in four age

divisions between ages seven and 12. The tournament, hosted by

Frankie’s family and his former baseball coach, Marco Martinez, was

founded in 2005 by Frankie’s mother, Erica Rangel-B ez.

Proceeds from the event will sponsor a donor family to attend

the U.S. Transplant Games in Madison, Wis. in July 2010.

In addition to sponsoring and organizing the baseball tourna-

ment, she gathers a walking team in Frankie s honor at the annual

Donate Life Run/Walk at Cal State fullerton, to be held this year on

Saturday, April 25.

POR ELENA DE LA CRUZ

Sergio G mez, beneficiado de un ri n y Embajador muy acti-

vo de OneLegacy, sabe lo dif cil que es pasar la Navidad en un

hospital, pero ver a ni os en la misma situaci n es todav a m s

dif cil. Por eso puso manos a la obra y cre Done Vida Regala.

Done Vida Regala se enfoca exclusivamente en dar juguetes a

ni os a la espera de un trasplante o en tratamiento en centros de

di lisis. Al mismo tiempo, al ser entregados por beneficiados de

trasplantes, los ni os pueden comprobar de primera mano el resul-

tado de personas que han recibido el regalo de vida que ellos est n

esperando.

Gracias a las generosa donaci n de juguetes de la Fundaci n

Heart to Heart, empleados de OneLegacy y sus voluntarios, y la

porra de Chivas USA, estas Navidades Sergio G mez y un grupo

de Embajadores—los voluntarios hispanos de OneLegacy—pusieron

m s de 200 regalos directamente en las manos de ni os enfermos.

Los juguetes fueron distribuidos entre: 90 pacientes pedi tricos

d los departamentos de Nefrolog a, Cuidados Intensos, e H gado,

Coraz n, y Pulm n de Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; 30

pacientes en el departamento nefrol gico del Hospital Cedars

Sinai; 33 en la divisi n de Coraz n, H gado y Pulm n de Loma

Linda University Children’s Hospital; 15 adolescentes en

Cuidados Intensivos de Pediatr a de UC Irvine; y 25 adolescentes

en Cuidados Intensivos de Pediatr a de UCLA.

Un aliciente a adido para los ni os es que les entregaron los

regalos dos jugadores de futbol del equipo Chivas USA: Atiba

Harris y Gerson Mayen, quienes tambi n tuvieron que firmar

numerosos aut grafos.

Agradecemos mucho la oportunidad que Done Vida Regala

nos da para iluminarle un d a a un ni o durante las fiestas , afir-

m el jugador Atiba Harris, quien se conmovi mucho con la

experiencia y se mostr sorprendido al comprobar cuantos ni os

hay en la lista de espera.

Felicitaciones a Sergio Gomez y Sonia Navarro, Coordinadora

del Desarrollo de la Comunidad Latina de OneLegacy, quienes

coordinaron las visitas a los hospitales, y a lo siguientes

Embajadores que tomaron tiempo para clasificarlos por edades y

distribuirlos: Mina y Richard Gonz lez, Ana Maria Villalobos,

Claudia Estrada, Jes s y Icela Nava, Eva y Arnoldo P rez,

Suzanne Gonz lez y Laura Guzm n.

5

El Puente Una secci n especial para la comunidad latina

Done Vida Regala lleva juguetes a ni os

en di lisis o a la espera de un trasplante

S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y

(1) Embajadores de Done Vida tras organizar los regalos para cada cen-tro de transplante. (2) Ativa Harris, jugador de Chivas USA, junto a unpaciente de diálisis al que le entregó un regalo.

1

2

Kingdom Day Parade Honors Donate Life 'Legacies'BY RALPH SUTTON

For a second consecutive year, Donate Life’s Kingdom Day

Parade float entry won the Governor s Award for its inspiring mes-

sage promoting both organ and tissue donation and Dr. Martin

Luther King’s dream of a colorblind global community.

With its multicultural mix of riders representing recipients,

donors and their families, transplant candidates, surgeons, clergy

and transplant professionals, Legacies on the Tree of Life put a

face on organ and tissue donation for the thousands lining the parade

route along Martin Luther King Blvd. in South Los Angeles.

The float featured an ivy covered archway opening to a bridge

leading to a tree brought to life by autumn color leaves, each of

which bore a hand-painted dedication to donors from grateful recip-

ients. We chose our theme because of the life-renewing symbolism

of the Tree of Life, said float committee chairwoman and lung

recipient Eunice Gibson. It is a vital message that we reinforce as

Ambassadors in the African American community.

Scheduled float rider Dr. Rod Mateo, a transplant surgeon at

USC University Hospital, was called into surgery the night before

and arrived too late to ride, but nevertheless observed the impact of

Donate Life’s entry. There was a cause for celebration and hope in

everyone, and many recognized a culmination of Dr. King’s efforts

with the election of our president, he wrote. It was fitting that the

Tree of Life and [Donate Life] be part of the optimism and aspira-

tions of the community.

Legacy Honors Donor, His Love of the Game

Above, Frankie Hernandez’s mother Erica Rangel-Báez and sister Paolina(far left) and coach Marco Martinez (far right) join the South GateDemocrats, champions of the 12 & Under division.

YOUTH BASEBALL TOURNAMENT ATTRACTSTEAMS FROM THREE SOUTHLAND COUNTIES

12 O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

mitted in this country, a huge percentage of the donors would be

poor people. And if the recipients of kidneys, and not the govern-

ment, were paying for them, the practice would be viewed by many

Americans as allowing the rich to take advantage of the poor.

Such a perception would indeed be unfortunate. But it would not

be the worst-case scenario. It is possible that potential donors of

other organs — liver, heart, lungs, pancreas and small intestine —

would react negatively upon learning that people were being paid

for their kidneys. It might be that fewer drivers would sign up as

potential donors when getting or renewing their licenses because

they assumed that paid donors were filling the need.

Well aware of all of the questions and issues involved in this

matter, most of us in the field of organ donation and transplantation

are reluctant to call for a nationwide effort to pay for kidney dona-

tion. I believe the best way to proceed would be with small-scale

pilot programs that offer donors lifetime insurance coverage and see

what the effect would be.

Only if deceased and living donation improve across all socio-

economic groups should such incentives be expanded and

encouraged.

Thomas Mone is Chief Executive Officer and Executive VicePresident of OneLegacy. This article originally published in the LosAngeles Business Journal.

California USA

Kidney 16,083 78,997Liver 3,438 15,764Pancreas 136 1,548Kidney/Pancreas 475 2,276Heart 222 2,786Lung 182 1,964Heart/Lung 12 83Intestine 27 215

Total 20,091 101,224

for a part of Quentin to live on through the salvation of others.

The Ronald McDonald House provided rooms for our family and

a shuttle to and from the hospital. It was on this shuttle that family

members saw a jaundiced and very sick little girl. Asking around, we

learned the story of Maria, whose mother struggled to bring her to

Loma Linda for treatment and who was desperately in need of a liver

transplant. We requested that Maria receive Quentin’s liver and as fate

would have it, they were perfect matches.

I kept a journal throughout the ordeal, and in the very early morn-

ing of December 26, I wrote this entry:

We left you just now with the organ donation people. As we leftthe hospital, a chopper was landing on the roof as it did with you. Itwas almost poetic in a tragic sort of way. Ours was just one beat ofan unending rhythm. Some with a positive outcome, some negative -but the churn is happening everywhere 24X7. Right now the Hispanicgirl from the Ronald McDonald house is on an operating table andyou are about to save her life. Right now her mother is crying tears ofjoy and hopefully HER story will end well.

On Christmas day, Quentin passed and valiantly gave his own life

to save two individuals he didn’t know. We will never have the pride

of a high school graduation or wedding ceremony, but the pride we

feel for Quentin as a result of this gift helps to soothe the pain if only

a little bit.

The wind gently whispers your name, night fills your thoughts witha blanket of dew may the moon be your guide and night timemake all of your wishes come true.

Organ & Tissue Donation DataFollowing are key OneLegacy performance indicators for the 2008. (Source: OneLegacy data)

Continued from Page 1

QUENTIN: “You are about to save her life”

ORGAN TRANSPLANTWAITING LIST DATA

Source: UNOS. Based on OPTN data as of March 27, 2009

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec TOTAL

Organ Donors 39 31 33 31 38 26 33 32 34 30 33 41 400

Tissue Donors 138 107 116 103 123 116 121 125 120 122 149 169 1,509

Ocular-Only Donors 22 31 30 38 31 34 37 31 43 55 37 65 454

Kidneys Transplanted 62 46 45 54 51 41 51 45 59 45 44 62 605

Hearts Transplanted 14 7 12 12 10 11 11 10 16 10 13 12 138

Livers Transplanted 31 24 27 26 25 17 23 26 26 21 24 26 296

Lungs Transplanted 16 8 10 12 11 5 14 9 16 12 7 15 135

Pancreata Transplanted 5 3 9 4 3 4 6 7 9 4 3 3 54

Small Int. Transplanted 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 6

Organs Transplanted 128 89 104 110 101 78 105 97 120 93 91 119 1,235

Organs Transplanted Per Donor 3.28 2.87 3.15 3.44 2.66 3.12 3.09 3.13 3.53 3.10 2.76 2.98 3.09

Organs Recovered for Research 8 16 12 9 13 1 5 3 4 9 5 8 93

Consent Rate 73.8% 66.0% 68.3% 76.4% 60.1% 61.7% 61.3% 68.6% 74.6% 54.7% 58.7% 58.7% 64.7%

Conversion Rate 75.0% 70.4% 64.7% 76.2% 61.3% 61.0% 61.8% 64.6% 77.3% 47.6% 58.9% 58.9% 63.9%

Save The Date!

Hospital staff are invited to attend

”Celebrating Our Partners“Donation and Transplantation Conference

and Awards CeremonyWednesday, May 20, 2009Downtown L.A. Marriott

Topics includeImproving Conversion Rates • Kidney Exchanges

Donation After Cardiac Death • Applications of Donated Tissue plus 2010 Donate Life Rose Parade Float Sneak Preview

For more information, contact Carla Hentz at chentz@onelegacy.org

Nina Astor helps Maria, the recipient of of Quentin’s liver, decorate the floragraph of her son. Below, Maria’s and Quentin’sfamilies pose in front of the Donate Life Rose Parade float withthe completed floragraph, which was sponsored by Loma LindaUniversity Medical Center.

13S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y

Continued from Page 10

INCENTIVES

O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 94

KERN COUNTYBakersfield Heart Hospital 4 0 0 0Bakersfield Memorial Hospital 30 5 3 9Delano Regional Medical Center 3 0 0 0Kern Medical Center 68 10 8 32Mercy Hospital 82 10 7 24Mercy Southwest Hospital 1 0 0 0Mercy Westside Hospital 1 0 0 0Ridgecrest Regional Hospital 2 1 0 0San Joaquin Community Hospital 54 4 2 3

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - CENTRALAlhambra Hospital Medical Center 10 1 0 0Brotman Medical Center 3 0 0 0California Hospital Medical Center 49 14 4 13Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 83 18 11 41Century City Doctor's Hospital 2 0 0 0Children's Hospital Los Angeles 18 4 3 10Citrus Valley Intercommunity Hospital 3 0 0 0Citrus Valley Med Ctr - Queen of the Valley Campus 18 7 4 10East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital 1 0 0 0Garfield Medical Center 29 1 0 0Good Samaritan Hospital 32 6 0 0Greater El Monte Community Hospital 6 2 1 3Hollywood Community Hospital 1 0 0 0Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Med Ctr 18 1 0 0Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Med Ctr 64 10 4 9Kaiser Permanente West LA Med Ctr 22 2 1 1Kindred Hospital Santa Ana 1 0 0 0LAC + USC Medical Center 124 30 16 62Los Angeles Community Hospital 2 1 1 6Montclair Hospital Medical Center 1 0 0 0Monterey Park Hospital 1 0 0 0Olympia Medical Center 4 2 2 2Pacific Alliance Medical Center 2 1 0 0Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Ctr 44 9 4 7Promise Hospital of East LA, Suburban 1 0 0 0Promise Hospital of East Los Angeles 1 0 0 0Queen of Angels / Hollywood Presbyterian Med Ctr 13 2 1 3Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center 87 21 15 49San Dimas Community Hospital 1 0 0 0San Gabriel Valley Medical Center 7 2 0 0St. John's Hospital and Health Center 7 0 0 0St. Vincent Medical Center 5 0 0 0Tri-City Regional Medical Center 4 0 0 0UCLA Medical Center - Santa Monica 13 1 0 0USC University Hospital 23 1 1 4White Memorial Medical Center 22 6 3 7

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - NORTHAntelope Valley Hospital 58 9 7 16Encino Hospital Medical Center 7 1 1 3Foothill Presbyterian Hospital 14 1 0 0Glendale Adventist Medical Center 23 5 3 7Glendale Memorial Hosp & Health Ctr 14 3 2 5Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital 24 5 5 12Huntington Hospital 77 9 7 30Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Med Ctr 18 4 1 2Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Med Ctr 16 5 3 7

Organ Elig Organ OrgansRefer Refer Donors Tx’d

Hospital Referral Data

LA County Olive View / UCLA Med Ctr 4 2 2 7Lancaster Community Hospital 18 3 2 4Methodist Hospital of Southern California 27 5 2 2Mission Commty Hosp - Panorama City 7 4 4 5Northridge Hospital Medical Center 37 5 3 12Pacifica Hospital of the Valley Med Ctr 2 0 0 0Providence Holy Cross Medical Ctr 60 19 11 42Providence Tarzana Medical Center 2 1 1 1Sherman Oaks Hospital & Health Ctr 6 2 1 0St. Joseph Medical Center 61 5 2 5Valley Presbyterian Hospital 17 1 1 7Verdugo Hills Hospital 3 1 0 0Vista Specialty Hospital of San Gabriel Valley 1 1 0 0West Hills Regional Medical Center 8 3 1 1

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - SOUTHBeverly Hospital 26 3 1 2Centinela Freeman Reg Med Ctr, Memorial 11 5 2 1Centinela Hospital Medical Center 61 16 6 12Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital 4 1 0 0Downey Regional Medical Center 25 5 3 13Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Med Ctr 4 0 0 0Kaiser Permanente Harbor City Med Ctr 6 0 0 0Kindred Hospital La Mirada 1 0 0 0LA County Harbor-UCLA Med Ctr 61 21 13 36Lakewood Regional Hospital 14 2 1 4Little Company of Mary - San Pedro Hosp 22 1 0 0Little Company of Mary Hospital 30 7 4 3Long Beach Community Med Ctr 4 1 1 2Long Beach Memorial Med Ctr 54 15 10 34Los Angeles Community Hospital - Norwalk 1 0 0 0Marina del Rey Hospital 4 2 2 6Memorial Hospital of Gardena 18 4 1 3Miller Children's Hospital 20 7 4 13Pacific Hospital Long Beach 3 1 1 3Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital 23 5 1 0Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center 1 0 0 0St. Francis Medical Center 112 33 20 81St. Mary Medical Center 46 7 4 8Torrance Memorial Medical Center 61 3 1 3VA Hospital - Long Beach 2 0 0 0

ORANGE COUNTYAnaheim General Hospital 2 0 0 0Anaheim Memorial Medical Center 19 3 3 4Chapman Medical Center 9 1 1 2Childrens Hospital of Orange County 32 5 3 14CHOC at Mission 1 1 1 4Coastal Communities Hospital 11 1 0 0Fountain Valley Regional Hosp & Med Ctr 41 1 0 0Garden Grove Hospital & Med Ctr 12 1 0 0Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian 47 8 6 20Huntington Beach Hospital 3 1 1 2Irvine Regional Hospital & Med Ctr 11 1 1 0Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Med Ctr 45 5 4 11Kindred Hospital Ontario 2 0 0 0Kindred Hospital Westminster 4 0 0 0Los Alamitos Medical Center 15 5 3 4Mission Hospital Regional Med Ctr 31 9 9 19

Organ Elig Organ OrgansRefer Refer Donors Tx’d

14 O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 3S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y

Mendez NIT Labs Play Critical Support Role

BY ELENA DE LA CRUZ

The success of transplantation relies on many factors; a vital one

is the accurate and quick blood testing of deceased donors. For this

step, OneLegacy partners with the Mendez National Institute of

Transplantation (MNIT), which operates the largest donor laboratory

in the United States.

Unlike other med-

ical laboratories,

MNIT’s labs focus

exclusively on donor

serology, offering the

latest technology in

screening and practices that are critical for donation to safely occur

within very narrow time constraints.

MNIT has two laboratories that operate 24/7 year-round. The

MNIT Serology Laboratory, housed next to OneLegacy’s corporate

offices in downtown Los Angeles, processes the first blood test from

a donor after consent is given to identify known diseases and viruses

that could endanger the recipient of a transplanted organ.

The second lab, the MNIT HLA Laboratory, is also called the

matchmaker, as it is responsible for identifying safe and compatible

matches between organ donors and recipients. The HLA lab strives to

identify the best matches, which can result in life expectancy of a

transplanted organ up to 10 years longer in half of cases.

Once samples are received, testing begins quickly, within 12 min-

utes. This is a critical step because fast results allow organ recovery

and transplant to occur sooner, and also enable doctors to anticipate

and plan any additional therapies.

The technology used in the serology laboratory, which allows for

detection of diseases and viruses present even in very small amounts,

along with their rapid testing turnaround time, has made MNIT the

premier lab of its kind in the U.S., contracted not only by OneLegacy

but also all organ recovery organizations in the continental U.S. west

of Colorado.

At other general labs, some of the testing would take a lot more

time, explained James Schellenberg, Chief Operating Officer of the

Mendez National Institute of Transplantation at the S. Mark Taper

Foundation Transplant Center. We also help interpret results to make

crucial decisions.

Our lab technicians get the satisfaction that they might not get in

other labs because they are part of the process of transplantation, said

Schellenberg. They know someone is on the operating table depend-

ing on the results. It’s a big motivator.

The two laboratories contribute to MNIT’s mission to advance the

science and technology of transplantation through research. We have

years and years of blood samples that allow us to do important retro-

spective studies to make the process of transplantation safer, added

Schellenberg.

If a trend emerges from donor testing - for instance, the appear-

ance of a virus like Chagas - MNIT’s research can establish the extent

of the threat and implement new additional testing in the future.

Because efforts to improve transplantation require patients to be

compliant with their post-transplant treatments, MNIT’s mission also

focuses on education. Their One-on-One Renal Disease Education

Program trains transplant recipients to inform dialysis patients about

the treatment options of transplantation, to educate patients about the

tremendous commitment needed to care for a transplanted organ, and

to assist them in becoming more proactive in their healthcare.

Through lab testing, research and education, MNIT plays a quiet

but essential role in making transplantation successful.

MILESTONES On September 15, KarleenSamartan gave birth to son DevinChristopher…On November 29, Kari Kozuki wel-comed her second child, Ben…On January 29,Erik Arenas and family welcomed a baby boy.

WELCOME Administration: Lizette Dinsay,Human Resources Specialist…Danial Ishoo,Accounting Assistant…Mark Johnson, QualitySystems Process Engineer…Maria “April”Macias, Administrative Assistant…Ian Pham,Telecommunications Specialist…Kevin Pham,IS Network Administrator…ChristopherSariego, Media Relations Coordinator. ContactCenter: Bryan Bulthaup, Call CenterSupervisor…Rhubella Arata, Nickol Blackson,Kylie Bruce, Mary Concepcion, Kiera Dyer,Bobbi Jo Escher, Rigo Herrera, RoxanneGranske, Catherine Hartel, Willette Hurst,Sussan Johnson, Misti Laun, Melissa Lomeli,Liz Muscia, Ivette Nario, Ryan O’Dell, LoriPergo, Josh Rinker, Fatima Rivas, Sarah

Robbins, Shane Rodriguez and Lisette Sempe,Consent Approach Coordinators. OrganOperations: Jessica Bazanos, BenjaminBergstrom, Bryan Herring, Joseph Murray,Michael Romero and Margaret Seyffert,Procurement Transplant Coordinators…ChristyBethel, Lauren Feuerman, Samantha Rosenburgand Duane Turner, Hospital ServicesCoordinators. Tissue Operations: Shamir Hasan,David Ivie, Jia “Lina” Mao, Darren Ohara,Megan Sampson, Jessica Smalley, Lori Smith,Laura Teasley, Michelle Tillery and Ray Ycong,Surgical Recovery Technicians…Gina Capelo,Donor Information Coordinator…Jose Del Realand Marcos Seput, Central Supply Technicians.

ON THE MOVE Administration: Linda Aguilar,Administrative Assistant/Receptionist…Elenade la Cruz, Media Relations Specialist…PrasadGarimella, Chief Operating Officer and ChiefInformation Officer…Mary Goodwin, ClinicalResources Coordinator…Michelle Harris,Senior Accounting Assistant…ReneeHawthorne, Chief Development Officer …LidiaKinoshita, Clinical Education and ResearchAssistant…Clemen Sabah, Human Resources

Education Specialist…Tom Seto, IS SoftwareProject Manager. Contact Center: RoAna Lutz,Call Center Supervisor. Organ Recovery: NancyAllen and LuCyndi Ramirez, Managers, OrganProcurement…Woodi Anderson, Scott Bunting,Kren Campbell, Robert Morse, Alisa Suarez andKristina Wheeler, Organ ProcurementSupervisors…Wanda Jones, Manager,Procurement & Donation After Cardiac DeathProgram…Stacy Lane, Manager, OrganProcurement Standards and Procedures…Angela Mascarenhas, Medical RecordsAnalyst…Adam Teller, In-House HospitalServices Coordinator. Tissue Operations: StacyAnderson, Accounting Assistant.

BEST WISHES We wish the following formeremployees the best in their future endeavors: JodiAlexander, Deana Decarlo, Karen Detterich, JeffFleming, Pauline Gaughan, Tamra Grote, MaritaHarris, David Ivie, Jennifer Latham, Lina (Jia) Mao,John McCain, Jennifer McDowell, Megan Medel,Mariam Mollahassani, Ralph Navarro, RobertNordquist, Sam Oliveros, Peter Ramos, RigobertoRivera, Barbara Robles, Andra Kai Shaw, MonroeTinker, Matti Vigil and Laverne Wilson.

2

January 1 to December 31, 2008Organ Elig Organ OrgansRefer Refer Donors Tx’d

Organ Elig Organ OrgansRefer Refer Donors Tx’d

O n e L e g a c y > T h e B r i d g e > S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

Orange Coast Memorial Med Ctr 5 0 0 0Placentia Linda Community Hospital 2 0 0 0Saddleback Memorial Med Ctr 16 5 4 7Saddleback Memorial Med Ctr - San Clemente 8 2 2 8South Coast Medical Center 5 0 0 0St. Joseph Hospital 16 1 0 0St. Jude Medical Center 35 4 1 0Tustin Community Hospital 1 0 0 0UCI Medical Center 140 28 21 59West Anaheim Medical Center 5 0 0 0Western Medical Center Anaheim 8 0 0 0Western Medical Center Santa Ana 72 17 14 51

RIVERSIDE & SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIESArrowhead Regional Medical Center 134 25 19 67Barstow Community Hospital 4 0 0 0Chino Valley Medical Center 6 1 1 5Community Hospital of San Bernardino 11 4 2 6Corona Regional Medical Center 18 3 1 5Desert Regional Medical Center 87 19 12 48Desert Valley Hospital 5 1 1 3Eisenhower Memorial Hospital 21 3 2 1Hemet Valley Medical Center 21 2 0 0Inland Valley Regional Medical Ctr 38 4 0 0Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Med Ctr 1 0 0 0John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital 21 1 0 0Kaiser Permanente Fontana Med Ctr 98 8 3 6Kaiser Permanente Riverside Med Ctr 23 0 0 0Loma Linda Community Medical Ctr 2 0 0 0Loma Linda University Medical Ctr 194 28 22 90Menifee Valley Medical Center 8 0 0 0Moreno Valley Community Hospital 1 0 0 0

15S p r i n g 2 0 0 9 < T h e B r i d g e < O n e L e g a c y

Crossroads

Palo Verde Community Hospital 1 0 0 0Parkview Community Hospital Med Ctr 19 0 0 0Rancho Springs Medical Center 11 3 2 7Redlands Community Hospital 12 1 0 0Riverside Community Hospital 40 8 3 12Riverside County Regional Med Ctr 90 17 11 30San Antonio Community Hospital 60 5 1 1San Bernardino County Medical Society 1 0 0 0San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital 3 1 1 0St. Bernardine Medical Center 112 2 2 5St. Mary Regional Medical Center 18 0 0 0Victor Valley Community Hospital 15 0 0 0

SANTA BARBARA & VENTURA COUNTIESCommty Memorial Hosp of San Buenaventura 12 0 0 0Lompoc District Hospital 3 0 0 0Los Robles Regional Medical Center 18 4 2 7Marian Medical Center 18 6 3 8Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital 44 12 5 12Simi Valley Hospital & Health Care Svcs 14 4 3 11St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital 1 0 0 0St. John's Regional Medical Center 30 7 4 16Ventura County Medical Center 24 2 1 2

OTHERQueen of the Valley / Napa 3 0 0 0Riverview Regional Medical Center 2 0 0 0UC San Diego 1 0 0 0University of Nebraska Medical Center 1 0 0 0

TOTAL 3924 676 400 1235

heart and lung programs at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles; 30 chil-

dren in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center kidney program; 33 in the

heart, liver and lung divisions of Loma Linda University Children’s

Hospital; 15 teens in the pediatric ICU at UCI Irvine Medical Center;

and 25 teens at the pediatric ICU at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical

Center.

Many kids appreciated the presence of Atiba Harris and Gerson

Mayen, players for Major League Soccer’s Chivas USA, who signed

plenty of autographs in the process.

We really appreciate Donate Life giving us the opportunity to

brighten the day for many children during the holidays, said Harris,

who was deeply touched by the experience and surprised by the num-

ber of children who are waiting for a transplant.

Contributing time and effort to Donate Life Gives were

Embajadores Mina and Richard Gonzalez, Ana Maria Villalobos,

Claudia Estrada, Jes s and Icela Nava, Eva and Arnoldo Perez,

Suzanne Gonzalez and Laura Guzman.

Financial Incentives Might Expand Organ Donor PoolCOMMENTARY BY THOMAS MONE

In Los Angeles County and six neighboring counties, more than

6,000 people await donated kidneys to replace their own failing

organs. Nationally, the waiting list for those precious organs has

nearly 75,000 names on it. Unfortunately,

only a little more than one-fourth of that

number will have their needs met. The

others face an uncertain future that for

many will end in death.

This doesn’t have to happen. There are

literally millions of people in this country

who could make up that shortfall of 56,000

kidneys. Tests have long shown that

healthy human beings can function nor-

mally with just one of the two kidneys they were born with. So how

can more of those healthy people be motivated to give up a kidney?

At present, the satisfaction of helping others to survive is the

only reward that exists for organ donation in the United States. But

living donors are providing only about 6,000 kidneys a year (the rest

come from deceased donors). So it’s quite apparent that a stronger

incentive is needed.

It isn’t difficult to identify a stronger incentive. If potential

donors were offered cold, hard cash and made aware that they can

lead a normal life with a single kidney, there’s little doubt that the

donation rate would be much higher.

The United States

wouldn’t be breaking

any new ground if it

started authorizing

the purchase of kid-

neys. In at least three

c o u n t r i e s I r a n ,

Pakistan and the

Philippines paying

cash for kidneys has

been a standard practice for many years.

But to do so in this country would raise a number of concerns.

How much should be paid for a kidney - and who should pay it?

The recipient, or the government, via Medicare? A payment of

$5,000 would probably be sufficient to attract more than enough

Continued from Page 7

GIVES: Cheer for children

The Donate Life Gives committee gathers at OneLegacy’sCorporate office to organize the distribution of more than 200 toysfor area pediatric ICUs and transplant programs.

Please see INCENTIVES, Page 10

How can morehealthy people be motivated to give up a kidney?

On

eL

eg

acy

re

co

vere

d

a

co

mb

ined

2

,30

0

org

an a

nd t

issu

e d

onors

in 2

008,

help

ing t

o s

ave

and h

eal

nearl

y 1

00,0

00 l

ives.

OneL

egacy a

lso

achie

ved i

ts h

ighest

-ever

org

an d

onati

on c

onse

nt

rate

of

67%

, an i

mpro

vem

ent

of

four

perc

enta

ge

poin

ts o

ver

last

year’

s m

ark

, and 1

0 p

oin

ts a

bove

the a

vera

ge i

n 2

002-2

005.

Work

ing i

n c

oncert

wit

h m

ore

than 2

00 h

osp

i-

tal

part

ners

, O

neL

egacy c

oord

inate

d t

he r

ecovery

of

1,2

35 t

ransp

lante

d o

rgans

from

400 d

onors

in

2008.

Both

m

ark

s re

pre

sent

the

org

aniz

atio

n’s

second-h

ighest

recovery

tota

ls a

nd c

om

e a

s hos-

pit

al

staff

in

cre

asi

ng

ly

inte

gra

te

On

eL

eg

acy

’s

serv

ices

into

their

end-o

f-li

fe c

are

to b

enefi

t th

e

fam

ilie

s th

ey s

erv

e.

Less

th

an

10

years

ag

o,

on

ly h

alf

of

fam

ilie

s

appro

ached i

n h

osp

itals

gave c

onse

nt

for

dona-

tion.

Now

, a f

ull

tw

o-t

hir

ds

of

the f

am

ilie

s w

ith

the o

pp

ort

un

ity

to

do

nate

ch

oo

se t

o d

o s

o,

said

Tom

Mone, C

EO

and E

xecuti

ve V

ice P

resi

dent

at

On

eL

eg

acy.

Fu

rth

erm

ore

, n

earl

y t

hre

e-q

uart

ers

of

fam

ilie

s th

at

donate

org

ans

als

o g

ive c

onse

nt

for

tiss

ue d

onati

on.

Never

befo

re h

ave t

he f

am

i-

lies,

hosp

itals

and c

om

munit

ies

we s

erv

e b

een s

o

sup

po

rtiv

e o

f th

e D

on

ate

Lif

e m

issi

on

.

The c

om

munit

y’s

support

for

tiss

ue d

onati

on

is e

vid

enced b

y t

he c

onti

nued r

apid

expansi

on o

f

On

eL

eg

acy

’s

Tis

sue

Op

era

tio

ns.

In

2

00

8,

OneL

egacy

recovere

d

corn

eas

and

tiss

ue

from

1,9

60 d

onors

, a 3

4%

incre

ase

over

the y

ear

pri

or

BY

LO

UIS

DA

CH

IS

Quenti

n

Dachis

w

as

a

baby

who

made

heart

s m

elt

. H

is h

uge b

lue e

yes,

his

devil

ish

smir

ks

and h

is c

lutz

y m

anner

cause

d u

s to

be

stopped i

n p

ubli

c w

ith g

asp

s of

love.

Quenti

n w

as

16 m

onth

s old

when h

e f

ell

into

a b

ackyard

pool

on D

ecem

ber

22,

2003.

He

was

resu

scit

ate

d

and

air

lift

ed

to

Lom

a

Lin

da

Univ

ers

ity

Medic

al

Cente

r,

where

he

rem

ain

ed i

n a

com

a f

or

two d

ays.

Soon a

fter

it

becam

e cle

ar

that

Quenti

n w

as

not

goin

g to

pull

thro

ugh,

we w

ere

connecte

d w

ith r

epre

-

senta

tives

from

O

neL

egacy to

dis

cuss

org

an

donati

on.

Whil

e p

ain

ful

and d

iffi

cult

, th

e c

hoic

e t

o

all

ow

Quenti

n t

o h

elp

oth

ers

was

pla

inly

rig

ht.

It w

as

a w

ay t

o e

nsu

re o

ther

people

that

were

deali

ng w

ith l

ife a

nd d

eath

iss

ues

like w

e h

ad,

an

d w

ou

ld h

av

e a

bett

er

ou

tco

me.

It w

as

a w

ay

The

Bri

dge

Sprin

g 20

09

3M

ende

z N

ITLa

bs’

Criti

cal R

ole

4Do

nor D

ata

5El

Pue

nte

6‘F

ield

s of

Gol

d’Ho

nors

Don

ors

7Ti

ssue

Rec

over

yTe

chs

Serv

e in

Iraq

7‘D

onat

e Li

fe G

ives

’Ho

liday

Che

er

820

09 D

onat

e Li

feRo

se P

arad

e Fl

oat

11Do

nor D

esig

natio

nSo

ars

Nat

ionw

ide

12Tw

o Le

gaci

es

14Ho

spita

l Don

or &

Refe

rral

Dat

a

2008

: Nea

rly

100,

000

Live

s To

uche

d by

Reco

vere

d D

onor

s

Que

ntin

Dac

his

The

com

mun

ity n

ewsl

ette

r of

One

Lega

cy, t

he n

on-p

rofit

orga

n an

d tis

sue

reco

very

org

aniz

atio

n se

rvin

g th

e gr

eate

r Lo

s A

ngel

es a

rea

NON-PROFIT

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

LOS ANGELES CA

PERMIT #32574

221 South Figueroa Street, Suite 500Los Angeles, CA 90012

800-338-611224-hour line for routine notification or donor referrals

www.onelegacy.org

Tom Mone

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President

Prasad Garimella

Chief Operating Officer andChief Information Officer

Renee Hawthorne

Chief Development Officer

Bobby Patton

Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance

Alan Cochran

Vice President of Quality Systems

Anita Corliss

Vice President of Human Resources

Bryan Stewart

Vice President of Communications

Esther-Marie Carmichael

Director, Governance and Governmental Affairs

Johnny Carwell

Director of Hospital Services - Tissue

Stephanie Collazo

Director, Clinical Education

Vicki Simmons

Director, Information Technology

Maria Stadtler

Director, Research Partnerships

Jim Trisch

Director, Donation Services

Sherry Watson

Director, Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement

Management Team

Return Service Requested

1,23

5 OR

GAN

S TR

ANSP

LAN

TED

FROM

40

0 OR

GAN

DO

NOR

S;RE

CORD

1,96

0 EYE

/TIS

SUE

DON

ORS

Ple

ase

see Q

UE

NT

IN,

Page 1

3P

lease

see 2

008,

Page 1

0