UNOS Receives Over $800,000 in Grant to Support Organ Tracking Tech Award will help further improve innovative tracking service, travel app
Richmond, Va.
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March 25, 2022 04:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time
S.L. Gimbel Foundation, a component fund at the Inland Empire Community Foundation, recently awarded United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) an $836,208 grant to support two innovative tools: the UNOS Organ Tracking Service and the UNOS Travel App. UNOS is the engine that powers the national organ donation and transplantation system.
“UNOS continues to harness the power of modern technology and meaningful collaborations to ensure that lifesaving donor organs continue to get where they need to go,” UNOS CEO Brian Shepard said. “Both the tracking service and the travel app are the most recent examples of how we’re working to provide donor families, recipient families, patients and medical professionals with the peace of mind they need, and I am proud that our team continues to develop evidence-based, tech-driven solutions that save even more lives.”
"The S.L. Gimbel Foundation Fund is proud to support the important work of UNOS and the innovative tools they're using to help organ donors and recipients across the country," said Celia Cudiamat, SVP of Grants and Community Impact at IECF. "It is a great privilege to disperse these funds on their behalf, knowing their desire to focus on human dignity issues as a priority in their giving."
UNOS Organ Tracking Service
Developed by UNOS and tested by organ procurement organizations (OPOs) across the country, the service is now in use by 13 of the nation’s 57 OPOs. With this service, OPOs and transplant hospitals know when an organ is in transit, when it arrives at an airport, when the flight departs, and when the organ has arrived at its destination, all in real time.
The grant will fund the continued expansion of the tracking service, providing upgraded technology, a suite of advanced notifications including travel predictions, and other improvements. This will provide OPOs with an even more reliable, user-friendly way to track organs in transit.
UNOS Travel App
Select OPOs began piloting the UNOS Travel App in late 2020. The tool helps OPOs make more informed transportation plans by providing them with a view of all available options, including flight schedules, driving directions, travel times and other useful information.
The grant will pave the way for the full deployment of the UNOS Travel App, making it possible to integrate this service into the current organ offer system, assisting both OPOs and transplant hospitals with logistical decisions.
This generous grant comes after a year of historic firsts for UNOS and the entire donation and transplant community, including surpassing 41,000 transplants in a single year for the first time in 2021, as well as record-breaking numbers of kidney, heart, and liver transplants.
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About United Network for Organ Sharing
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the mission-driven non-profit serving as the nation’s transplant system under contract with the federal government. We lead the network of transplant hospitals, organ procurement organizations, and thousands of volunteers who are dedicated to honoring the gifts of life entrusted to us and to making lifesaving transplants possible for patients in need. Working together, we leverage data and advances in science and technology to continuously strengthen the system, increase the number of organs recovered and the number of transplants performed, and ensure patients across the nation have equitable access to transplant..
About the Inland Empire Community Foundation
Founded in 1941, the Inland Empire Community Foundation is the oldest and largest community foundation in Inland Southern California. We partner with individuals, families and corporations to help them achieve their charitable goals. Since inception, we have given out over $124 million in grants and scholarships. For more information visit the IECF’s website at www.iegives.org. Be a part of our conversation on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
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