Second Quarter 2013

Niki Helmer’s Passion for Life Lives On Thanks to Husband Kevin’s Undying Devotion

IN THIS ISSUEApril a Rousing Success

Jerry Anderson Honored

Hospitals Deliver the Gift of Hope

Morgan D’Organ Announces Summer Tour

A Newsletter for Gift of Hope’s Partners and Friends

The Ride of Her LifeThe Ride of Her LifeNiki Helmer’s Passion for Life Lives On Thanks to Husband Kevin’s Undying Devotion

Cover Photo: Kevin Helmer reflects as he visits the exercise track at Danada Forest Preserve in Wheaton, Ill., where his beloved wife, Niki, was killed in a tragic horseback riding accident in August 2011. Niki has impacted nearly 200 lives through her selfless decision to be an organ and tissue donor. Kevin honors Niki’s legacy through his tireless work to raise public awareness about the importance of being a registered donor.

President/CEOJ. Kevin Cmunt

Vice President of OperationsAlison Smith

Director of Communications and Legislative AffairsDavid Bosch630/758-2726dbosch@giftofhope.org

Writer/EditorTony Sullivan630/758-2721tsullivan@giftofhope.org

ContributorsJosh Muller630/758-2743jmuller@giftofhope.org

Heidi Schaiberger630/758-2740hschaiberger@giftofhope.org

Connections provides the Gift of Hope public and professional communities with news and information about Gift of Hope,

organ and tissue donation and the importance of being a registered organ and tissue donor. We encourage you to share

this newsletter with your friends and associates and learn more about donation by visiting GiftofHope.org.

IN THIS ISSUE

A Rousing Success

Activities conducted to observe National Donate Life Month in April added more than 6,000 people to the state donor registry.

Jerry Anderson Honored

Gift of Hope honored recently retired Gift of Hope President/CEO Jerry Anderson by dedicating its Itasca headquarters to him.

The Ride of Her Life

Niki Helmer’s upbeat spirit and passion for life lives on in others through the lifesaving gifts she offered as an organ and tissue donor.

Hospitals “Walk the Walk”

Hospitals showed their strong support for donation by taking part in Gift of Hope’s Hospitals for Hope campaign in April.

44 77

88

A Donate Life Organization

Jessica,Registered Organ Donor

As a nurse, I give patients hope for better lives.

As an organ and tissue donor, I hope one day to do the same.

Hospitals for Hope

Join me and Saint John’s Hospital in supporting donation.Register at Hospitals4Hope.org.

1111

Copyright © 2013. All Rights Reserved.

3 Connections - Morgan D’Organ Summer Tour

Gift of Hope’s personification of pinkness, Morgan D’Organ, is getting ready to hit the road for his annual Summer Tour to promote organ and tissue donation and donor registra-tion throughout Illinois and northwest Indiana. Summer is Morgan’s favorite time of the year because he gets to meet thousands of people at fairs, festivals and concerts to build awareness of donation and encourage people to register as lifesaving donors. “I’m all about registration drives, high fives and saving lives,” Morgan said.

Last year, Morgan’s travels took him from Chicago to central Illinois to attend nearly 20 events to talk about donation. As a result, more than 2,000 people said “yes” to donation at the many events Morgan attended.

He aims to beat that number in 2013. To do that, Gift of Hope’s trusty mascot will hit many of the same spots he’s visited in the past, but he’ll be spending much more time in Hispanic communities this year to carry the donation message to people in those areas. A new Illinois law that grants driving privileges to Illinois’ 250,000 undocumented immigrants is one reason. The law has the potential to deepen the pool of people who can register as organ and tissue donors, so Morgan will be doing his part to help edu-cate undocumented immigrants in Hispanic communities

about their opportunity to register as donors when they apply for a driver’s license or state identification card. Morgan hopes many of these newly licensed drivers will say “yes” and choose to become lifesaving donors.

Morgan is still arranging his full Summer Tour schedule, so visit Gift of Hope’s website, GiftofHope.org, to get the latest information on when and where you can get a dose of pink this summer. In the meantime, here are just a few of the places where you can definitely meet and greet Morgan during the coming months:

• Naperville Ribfest, July 4 – 7• Fiesta del Sol, Chicago, July 25 – 28• Bud Billiken Parade, Chicago, August 10• Northalsted Market Days, Chicago, August 11• Scarecrow Festival, St. Charles, October 11 – 13

If you attend an event on Morgan’s schedule, be sure to stop by the Gift of Hope tent to say “hello” to Morgan, get a picture with him and receive a free gift. You can follow Morgan’s 2013 Summer Tour on Gift of Hope’s Facebook page and on Twitter, which Morgan occasionally takes over to share news and updates from the road.

Gift of Hope’s trusty mascot is all about registration drives, high fives and saving lives.

Morgan D’Organ Set to Begin Annual Summer Tour

“We owned the month!”With those four words, Gift of Hope Director of Communica-tions David Bosch summarized the impact that Gift of Hope and its many partners in the donation community had on raising public awareness of organ and tissue donation during National Donate Life Month in April. Thirty days of Donate Life flag raisings, community and hospital staff donor registration drives, media outreach, workplace health fairs and social media campaigns all contributed to adding more than 6,600 people to the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donor Registry during the month.

“We typically add about 16,000 people a year to the registry through our public education and outreach efforts, so adding 6,644 to the registry in a single month is a huge number,” Bosch said. “We are extremely grateful to our many partners in the donation community for helping to spread the message about organ and tissue donation throughout the month. Their support was invaluable to helping us realize one of our most successful National Donate Life Month celebrations ever.”

National Donate Life Month, observed each April, is a time set aside to educate the public about organ and tissue donation and encourage people to register as donors. “During this special time, Gift of Hope and our Donate Life Illinois partners work with schools, businesses, hospitals and community organiza-tions throughout Illinois and northwest Indiana to dial up their donation advocacy activities,” Bosch said. “We also take this time to recognize donors, their families, transplant recipients and the healthcare professionals who help provide the gift of life through donation and transplantation.”

Hospitals in Illinois and northwest Indiana played a significant role in the successful month. Nearly 40 hospitals took part in Gift of Hope’s Hospitals for Hope campaign, which sought to encourage hospital staff members to publicly demonstrate their support for donation throughout April by registering as

donors. More than 4,000 hospital staff members responded to the challenge. A single campaign, held at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Ill., accounted for about 25 percent of the total. (See related story on p. 11.)

Meanwhile, Gift of Hope’s corps of Advocates for Hope volunteers, many of whom have been personally touched by donation, did their part to put donation in the spotlight by sharing their stories in Gift of Hope’s 30 Stories in 30 Days campaign. To carry out the campaign, Gift of Hope published one Advocates for Hope story a day in April on GiftofHopeBlog.org, the organization’s blog.

“Although the stories were a part of our month-long obser-vation of National Donate Life Month, the stirring messages they send are meaningful all year long,” said Bosch. “We invite people to visit our blog at any time to read these inspirational stories of hope and life made possible through donation.”

In addition to these hard-hitting activities, Gift of Hope also conducted or participated in a wide range of other awareness-raising events throughout Illinois and northwest Indiana.

4 Connections - National Donate Life Month a Rousing Success

Franciscan Alliance St. Margaret Health in Dyer, Ind., the Indiana Lions Eye and Tissue Transplant Bank and Gift of Hope observed National Donate Life Month with a tree planting service on the hospi-tal grounds. Michael Henderson, of the Lions transplant bank, and Alice Jenkins, a Donation Coordinator with Gift of Hope, perform a ceremonial watering of one of the newly planted trees, meant to symbolize growth and hope.

Public Education and Outreach Efforts Add 6,600 People to Donor Registry

National Donate Life MonthA ROUSING SUCCESS

Here are just a few:

• Press conference hosted by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White to unveil his organ/tissue donation commercial and to kick off National Donate Life Month, held at the Thompson Center in Chicago.

• Legacy of Life Memorial Dedication at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill.

• Donor Memorial Service at Franciscan St. Anthony Health in Crown Point, Ind.

• Salem Baptist Church Donor Registration Drive in Chicago.

• Memorial Medical Center Recognition Program, honoring this Springfield hospital for its tireless commitment to donation and the contributions it has made to making organs and tissue available to people in need.

• National Donate Life Month Press Conference at Stroger Hospital in Chicago.

• Red Shoe Run at Northern Illinois University’s campus in Rockford, Ill.

• National Donate Life Month Blue and Green Day, encouraging people to honor donors, remember those who died waiting and celebrate the people who received the gift of life through transplantation this day by wearing blue and green, the colors of the national Donate Life logo.

• Biological Resource Center of Illinois Donor Memorial Service at Elm Lawn Cemetery Chapel in Elmhurst, Ill.

“We were on a mission in April,” Bosch said. “Through donor registration stations, signage and donation stories channeled through the mass media, social media, hospital community newsletters and hospital and workplace websites and intranets, we sought to educate our diverse communities about the importance of organ and tissue donation and encourage people to register as organ and tissue donors. By adding more than 6,000 people to the Illinois donor registry during the month, we clearly achieved those goals.”

Connections - National Donate Life Month a Rousing Success 5 Connections - National Donate Life Month a Rousing Success

Methodist Hospitals in Gary and Merrillville, Ind., observed National Donate Life Month by conducting their first flag-raising ceremonies to honor donors who offer the gift of life through donation. Above, hospital staff members gather with representatives of Gift of Hope and the Indiana Lions Eye and Tissue Transplant Bank to hold the flag they raised at Methodist’s Northlake Campus in Gary.

Gift of Hope Dedicates Itasca Headquarters to Jerry AndersonGift of Hope has dedicated its Itasca, Ill., headquarters to Jerry Anderson, who retired as the organization’s President/CEO in December. New President/CEO Kevin Cmunt made the announcement April 25 at a retirement reception held to honor Anderson and recognize him for guiding Gift of Hope during its first 26 years.

Gift of Hope set new, one-month records for organ donors, bone donors released for transplant and donor registrations in April thanks to the collaborative efforts of Gift of Hope staff and the donation community during National Donate Life Month.

Gift of Hope worked with 36 organ donors — two more than the previous one-month best of 34 — and their families who offered 88 lifesaving transplants to people in need during the month. Staff also helped to release 141 bone donors for transplant, which will make thousands of tissue transplants available to people in need, and registered 6,644 people as organ and tissue donors.

“Recent organizational changes we have instituted certainly contributed to this record-breaking month for us, but none of this happens without the people who make the selfless decision to be lifesaving donors,” said Kevin Cmunt, President/CEO of Gift of Hope. “We are privileged to honor their decisions to be donors and offer hope and life to others.”

As of April 30, Gift of Hope has worked with 106 organ donors, a 36 percent increase from the same period in 2012, and 501 tissue donors, a 33 percent increase.

Gift of Hope and Its Donation Partners Team to Produce Record Donation Activity in April

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to�the�man�who�built�the�foundation�upon�which��

Gift�of�Hope�carried�out�its�lifesaving�mission�for��

a�quarter-century�and�continues�to�do�today��

thanks�to�his�keen�vision�and�expert�leadership.”�

—Kevin�Cmunt,�President/CEO�of�Gift�of�Hope�Family members surround Jerry Anderson at a special reception held to honor him for his 26 years of service as Gift of Hope’s President/CEO.

6 Connections - Donation News

Springfield’s Memorial Medical Center contributed to Gift of Hope’s record April and was recognized during the month for its tireless commitment to donation, as evidenced by the 100 percent donation rate it achieved for 36 consecutive months. Alison Smith, Vice President of Operations for Gift of Hope, presented Memorial CEO Edgar Curtis with a granite plaque honoring the facility for its accomplishments. Also on hand for the presentation was Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.

A new working relationship Gift of Hope has established with the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office is beginning to produce benefits. Under the new arrangement, Cook County Medical Examiner Stephen Cina, MD, allows Gift of Hope staff to review the office’s daily ledger to identify potential donors. Gift of Hope staff members Andrew Norberciak, Tissue Chart Liaison, and Chasity Dodd, Forensic Liaison, rotate days reviewing cases on site at the Cook County Medical Examiner facility in Chicago.

“This new arrangement was Dr. Cina’s idea based on what was done at other offices he has worked at,” explained Shaun Martin, Manager of Tissue Recovery Services and Forensic Liaison. “We are grateful to Dr. Cina for opening his doors to us and helping to make donation happen.”

Dr. Cina took over as Cook County Medical Examiner last year after serving as Associate Medical Director of the University of Miami Tissue Bank. That experience instilled within him a deep appreciation for the benefits of organ and tissue donation, a mindset that continues today as he directs the operations of the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Life Matters Media and Gift of Hope have joined forces to help provide information, resources and support for people faced with end-of-life decisions — including whether to be an organ and tissue donor. “By fostering better communication, Life Matters Media empowers the ill, aged, caregivers and medical providers to navigate life’s final phase,” said Eric Price, a Donation Specialist at Gift of Hope who has helped to cultivate the new partnership. “We are working with this newly formed organization to encourage people to consider organ and tissue donation as a crucial part of comprehensive advance care planning. “

Price is serving as a columnist with Life Matters Media on its new digital platform, Lifemattersmedia.org. His columns, which share inspiring stories and advice from transplant recipients, donors and medical providers, appear in the website’s Legacy section. Randi Belisomo, an award-winning reporter for Chicago’s WGN-TV, and Mary Mulcahy, MD, a medical oncologist and associate professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, founded Life Matters Media. Both are board members of the Chicago End-of-Life Care Coalition and serve on the Illinois Task Force for the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment.

New Cook County Medical Examiner Arrangement Producing Benefits

Mary Mulcahy, MD, and Randi Belisomo are the founders of Life Matters Media. Dr. Mulcahy is a medical oncologist and an instructor at Northwest-ern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Belisomo is an award-winning reporter with WGN-TV. Life Matters Media provides information and support for people faced with end-of-life decisions, including whether to be an organ and tissue donor.

7 Connections - Donation NewsConnections - Donation News

Stephen Cina, MD, took over as Cook County Medical Examiner last September. His previous work as Associate Medical Director of the University of Miami Tissue Bank has made him a strong advocate for organ and tissue donation.

Life Matters Media and Gift of Hope Join Forces

The Rideof Her Life

8 Connections - The Ride of Her Life

That sunny Sunday afternoon in August 2011 was like so many other days Niki Helmer spent pursuing her passion — horseback riding. Sitting in the saddle, she wore the most incredible smile, as she always did, loving to ride and experiencing the beauty nature has to offer. It was one of many things she loved about riding. On this day, Niki was exercising a friend’s horse in the Danada Forest Preserve in Wheaton, Ill., adjacent to the farm where she boarded her own beloved horse, Raven. A friend accompanied her on the ride. Horseback riders, runners, bikers and hikers share the network of trails that weave throughout the Danada Forest Preserve. As Niki and her friend approached an intersection of trails, a runner appeared and spooked Niki’s horse. It reared, and Niki was thrown to the ground.

Niki wore a helmet religiously, and this day was no different. But the helmet did little to cushion her head as it struck the ground with lethal force, fracturing her skull in two places. The severe head injury caused her heart to stop beating on the trail that day. Her friend revived her while waiting for first responders to arrive, but the brain swelling that resulted from the injury was uncontrollable. The accident ultimately took Niki’s life three days later. She was 37.

Niki had often talked about being an organ and tissue donor, recalled her husband, Kevin. “Niki was very clear about her intentions should a tragedy like this ever occur,” Kevin said. “Sadly, it did.”

Niki Helmer’s Spirit and Passion for Life Live On in Others Through the Gifts of Life She Offered as a Donor

The Rideof Her Life

Kevin Helmer lays flowers at the spot where his wife, Niki, died in a tragic horseback riding accident in August 2011. He works tirelessly to honor Niki’s legacy and educate people about the importance of being a registered organ and tissue donor.

Niki Helmer’s Spirit and Passion for Life Live On in Others Through the Gifts of Life She Offered as a Donor

From dogs to people, Niki Helmer wanted to help any-one and anything she could. After a job change for Kevin brought the couple to the Chicago area, Niki got involved with a local dog rescue organization based in Elmhurst, Ill., and felt compelled to help dogs get into good homes. That included her own, which soon became home to three rescue dogs.

She also worked with a disabled child in equine therapy for 18 months before her accident. They met at the barn where Raven was boarded, and Niki immediately fell in love with this 6-year-old boy. “Their lessons were dates, and his love for Niki was as large as the universe,” Kevin said. “And so was her love for him.”

The boy took his first step up onto a curb within the first year they met, and he won a ribbon in his first horse competition thanks to Niki’s guidance. “He ran down the hallway, yelling the entire time, ‘Look what I have done, Ms. Niki!’,” Kevin recalled.

That was Niki: friend, helper, lifesaver — in life and in death. The outcome of her decision to donate tells the remarkable impact she has had on the lives of others — remarkable not only in the many gifts she has offered, but in where the gifts were received:

• One of Niki’s heart valves was given to a 10-year-old girl in Wisconsin, where Niki was born and lived for 11 years.

• Four grafts have been done using Niki’s skin — one in Florida, where Niki and Kevin met and fell in love; one in Washington, D.C., where Niki and Kevin were engaged to be married; and two in Georgia, where Niki and Kevin were married.

• One person from Illinois, where the Helmers lived out the final chapter of their life together, received Niki’s liver, and another Illinois resident received one of her kidneys. Four other Illinoisans received a tendon or ligament from Niki.

“That’s Niki putting her stamp on every place we lived and loved,” Kevin said. “This cannot be a coincidence.”

All in all, Niki has saved the lives of three people through organ donation, and, to date, her gift of tissue donation has resulted in an astounding 181 bone and tissue transplants.

9 Connections - The Ride of Her LifeConnections - The Ride of Her Life

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donation,�which�is�where�the�goodness�and�grace�gets�exponen-

tially�larger.”�—Kevin�Helmer

Horseback riding was one of life’s passions for Niki Helmer, who was an accomplished equestrian. She is shown here with her beloved horse, Raven.

“That number takes my breath away,” Kevin said. “When people think about donation, they often think of the heart, lungs and other vital organs first. They really do not think about skin for burn victims, bones for a high school athlete who gets injured or ligament repair for an elderly person that allows him or her to walk again. The gift of donation goes on for years and just keeps giving and touching so many others.”

And it’s not just recipients who feel the full impact of these gifts, Kevin added. “It’s the family and friends of those who are directly impacted through donation, which is where the goodness and grace gets exponentially larger.”

Kevin is grateful to Gift of Hope staff for helping to honor Niki’s wishes to be a donor. “Niki and many others have saved and changed lives because of what the people at Gift of Hope do each day,” Kevin said. “What they do has such a profound impact on human life. Thanks to them, I have come to know Bob, who received Niki’s liver, and Jim, who received Niki’s left kidney. Although I have not met the others, another person now lives with her right kidney, and two men in this area now can see thanks to cornea transplants made possible through Niki’s decision to be a donor.”

Last summer, as the one-year anniversary of Niki’s death neared, Kevin felt the need to honor Niki’s legacy, keep her memory alive and provide Gift of Hope with a tangible gift of thanks for all it has done to honor Niki’s wishes. He did that by holding the 1st Annual Niki Helmer Memorial Golf Outing in

August 2012 at Itasca Country Club, where he is a member. The event raised more than $32,000 to benefit Gift of Hope’s efforts to educate the public about organ and tissue donation. The second annual event will be held this year on August 10 at the same location. (See sidebar.)

“I believe strongly in what Gift of Hope does, and I will continue to tell Niki’s story of love and life and provide donation education to people so they realize the tremendous impact that donation can have on people’s lives,” he explained. “My goal, similar to Gift of Hope’s, is to get people to register to be organ and tissue donors, as Niki did. I am firmly in Gift of Hope’s corner and will do everything I can to make sure that raising organ and tissue donation awareness maintains a permanent place in my life.”

10 Connections - The Ride of Her Life

As a result of her decision to be an organ and tissue donor, Niki Helmer saved the lives of three people through organ donation, and, to date, her gift of tissue donation has resulted in more than 180 bone and tissue transplants.

The 2nd Annual Niki Helmer Memorial Golf Outing, which honors Niki’s legacy and the gifts of life she offered as an organ and tissue donor, will be held Saturday, August 10, at Itasca Country Club, 400 E. Orchard St. in Itasca, Ill. All proceeds will benefit Gift of Hope. For more information, contact Kevin Helmer at 440/277-5607 or myrileyj@aol.com.

Niki Helmer Memorial Golf Outing Set for August 10

11 Connections - Hospitals for HopeConnections - The Ride of Her Life

Issue a challenge to the staff of St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, and you better stand back. In April, Gift of Hope chal-lenged hospital staff at St. John’s to “walk the walk” when it comes to supporting organ and tissue donation by registering as donors or reaffirming their existing donation decisions.

Hospital staff more than met the chal-lenge as more than 800 of them signed up as newly registered donors or reaffirmed their previous decisions by re-registering as organ and tissue donors. “It’s one thing to talk about supporting organ and tissue donation, but actions speak louder than words,” said Kevin Cmunt, President/CEO of Gift of Hope. “The dedicated staff at St. John’s showed they don’t just ‘talk the talk.’ They ‘walk the walk,’ too.”

And they weren’t alone. More than 4,000 staff members at 36 other hospitals throughout Illinois and northwest Indiana also showed their support for donation by taking part in Gift of Hope’s Hospitals for Hope campaign. Conducted to observe and support National Donate Life Month throughout April, the campaign united physicians, nurses and other hospital staff and gave them all a chance to publicly demonstrate their support of organ and tissue donation

“The Hospitals for Hope campaign is designed to build awareness and save lives, showing that trusted healthcare pro-fessionals support organ and tissue dona-tion,” said Cmunt. “In just 30 days, these individuals helped to motivate more than 4,000 of their co-workers to make a dona-tion decision. That amounts to nearly 25

percent of all donor registrations gained through our public education and outreach efforts in all of 2012. With an average of 18 people dying every day waiting for an organ transplant, this level of support from the hospital community is much-needed and deeply appreciated. We hope other people will follow their lead and choose to become donors.”

Hospitals’ support went beyond individual facilities. The Illinois Hospital Association, the Naperville, Ill.-based organization that represents the state’s hospitals, showed its support by promoting Hospitals for Hope to its member hospitals through the organization’s print, electronic and social media communications. The program resonates on a personal level with IHA because many of its members work closely with people who are touched by donation — organ and tissue donors, family, friends and loved ones of donors and people who are waiting for lifesaving transplants, said Maryjane Wurth, President and CEO of IHA.

“No one understands better than our hospital professionals just how critical the need is to continue building the organ and tissue donor registries,” said Wurth, who also is a member of Gift of Hope’s Board of Directors. “This program positions trusted healthcare professionals as examples for their patients, family members and other people within their broad circles of influence.”

The top-performing hospitals that met or surpassed their Hospitals for Hope campaign donor registration goals for April include:

• Advocate BroMenn Medical Center (Normal)

• Advocate Condell Medical Center (Libertyville)

• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital (Chicago)

• Iroquois Memorial Hospital & Resident Home (Watseka)

• OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center (Rockford)

• OSF Saint Francis Medical Center (Peoria)

• St. John’s Hospital (Springfield)• Blessing Health System (Quincy)• Genesis Medical Center (Silvis)

St. John’s led the Hospitals for Hope campaign with its 800 donor registrations in April.

To help hospitals implement the campaign, Gift of Hope provided digital toolkits that included a branded campaign webpage with real-time donor registration tracking as well as e-mail templates, news releases and Hospitals for Hope blurbs to include in hospitals’ internal communica-tions vehicles. Gift of Hope also supplied on-site display materials, such as posters and table tent cards featuring donation advocates from within each partner facility. Advocates featured in the display materials included physicians, nurses, hospital administrators, chaplains and scores of other healthcare staff in wide-ranging professions.

“The Hospitals for Hope initiative provides hospital partners with an individualized approach to donation outreach,” said Cmunt. “By branding each campaign uniquely, we give our hospitals and their donation advocates the power to serve as ambassadors for saving lives through organ and tissue donation.”

Learn more about the Hospitals for Hope campaign at Hospitals4hope.org.

Hospital Staff Offer the Gift of Hope During National Donate Life Month

More than 4,000 register as organ and tissue donors in April

Jessica,Registered Organ Donor

As a nurse, I give patients hope for better lives.

As an organ and tissue donor, I hope one day to do the same.

Hospitals for Hope

Join me and Saint John’s Hospital in supporting donation.Register at Hospitals4Hope.org.

12 Connections - Hospital Performance Metrics

HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE METRICS*Gift of Hope works in partnership with 180 hospitals and nine transplant centers to meet the ever-growing demand for donor organs and fulfill the organization’s vision — a day when every person chooses to donate life, making organs and tissue available for all people in need. Here’s a look at key donation performance metrics for Illinois and northwest Indiana hospitals and the contributions these hospitals are making to give hope and life to others.

HospitalOrgan Donors

Donation Authorization

Rate

Donation Conversion

Rate

Timely Notification

Rate

*Thr

ough

4/3

0/1

3

Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital 0 0 0 100

Adventist GlenOaks Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Adventist Hinsdale Hospital 0 NA 0 0

Adventist LaGrange Memorial Hospital 1 NA 100 100

Advocate BroMenn Medical Center 1 100 100 100

Advocate Christ Medical Center 7 67 64 100

Advocate Condell Medical Center 4 100 100 100

Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital 3 100 100 75

Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center 1 50 50 67

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital 4 100 100 100

Advocate South Suburban Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Advocate Trinity Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Alexian Brothers Medical Center 0 NA NA 100

Blessing Hospital 1 50 50 100

Carle Foundation Hospital 2 57 63 91

Centegra Hospital: McHenry 0 NA NA NA

Centegra Hospital: Woodstock 0 NA NA NA

Central DuPage Hospital 2 50 60 100

Community Hospital of Ottawa 0 0 0 100

Copley Memorial Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Decatur Memorial Hospital 1 50 50 0

Delnor Community Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Edward Hospital 1 100 100 100

Elmhurst Memorial Hospital 1 50 50 100

Evanston Hospital 0 0 NA NA

Franciscan St. Anthony Health 0 NA NA NA

Franciscan St. James Chicago Heights 0 NA NA NA

Franciscan St. James Olympia Fields 1 100 100 100

Franciscan St. Margaret Mercy Dyer 0 100 100 100

Franciscan St. Margaret Mercy Hammond 0 0 0 100

Freeport Memorial Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Galesburg Cottage Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Genesis Medical Center: Illini Campus 0 NA NA NA

Glenbrook Hospital 0 0 0 100

Gottlieb Memorial Hospital 1 50 33 75

Highland Park Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Hines VA Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Holy Cross Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Ingalls Hospital 0 100 67 67

13 Connections - Hospital Performance MetricsConnections - Hospital Performance Metrics

Hospital Organ DonorsDonation

Authorization Rate

Donation Conversion

Rate

Timely Notification

Rate

Kindred Hospital: Northlake 0 NA NA NA

Kindred Hospital: Peoria 0 NA NA NA

Kindred Hospital: Springfield 0 NA NA NA

Kindred Hospital: Sycamore 0 NA NA NA

Kishwaukee Community Hospital 1 100 100 100

Lake Forest Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Little Company of Mary Hospital & Health Care 0 NA NA NA

Loyola University Medical Center 3 80 100 80

Lurie Children’s Hospital 3 100 75 100

MacNeal Memorial Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Memorial Medical Center 1 100 50 100

Mercy Hospital and Medical Center 0 0 50 100

Methodist Hospital: Northlake 2 100 100 100

Methodist Hospital: Southlake 2 75 75 100

Methodist Medical Center 0 100 100 50

Metro South Medical Center 2 100 67 50

Morris Hospital 0 0 0 100

Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center 2 33 29 71

Northwest Community Hospital 3 75 75 100

Northwestern Memorial Hospital 2 67 67 100

Norwegian American Hospital 0 100 100 100

OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center 0 NA NA NA

OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center 0 NA NA NA

OSF Saint Francis Medical Center 9 100 91 87

OSF St. Joseph Medical Center 1 100 100 100

OSF St. Mary Medical Center 0 0 0 100

Our Lady of Resurrection Medical Center 3 80 80 100

Palos Community Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Pekin Memorial Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Presence Covenant Medical Center 0 NA NA NA

Presence Mercy Medical Center 0 NA NA NA

Presence Saint Joseph Hospital 1 100 100 100

Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center 2 67 67 67

Presence Saint Mary’s Hospital 1 100 100 100

Presence United Samaritans Medical Center 0 NA NA NA

Proctor Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Resurrection Medical Center 0 NA NA NA

Richland Memorial Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Riverside Medical Center 2 100 67 100

Rockford Memorial Hospital 1 100 100 100

Rush Oak Park Hospital 1 100 100 100

Rush University Medical Center 8 100 80 100

Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center 0 NA NA NA

Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center 0 NA NA 0

Sherman Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Silver Cross Hospital 1 100 100 100

Skokie Hospital 0 100 100 50

South Shore Hospital 1 100 100 100

14 Connections - Hospital Performance Metrics

Organ DonorsDonors from whom one or more organs were recovered for the purpose of transplantation. This includes both donation after brain death, or DBD, donors and donation after circulatory death, or DCD, donors.

Donation Authorization RateThe rate at which authorization for donation is obtained, expressed as a percentage.

Donation Conversion RateThe rate at which potential donors are converted to actual donors, expressed as a percentage.

Timely Notification RateThe rate at which hospitals contact Gift of Hope after a death or within one hour after an individual meets the criteria for imminent death and before the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies, expressed as a percentage.

Hospital Organ DonorsDonation

Authorization Rate

Donation Conversion

Rate

Timely Notification

Rate

Glossary of Terms

HOSP

ITAL

PER

FORM

ANCE

MET

RICS

St. Alexius Medical Center 0 NA 100 100

St. Anthony Hospital 0 NA NA NA

St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital 0 NA NA NA

St. Bernard Hospital and Healthcare Center 1 100 100 100

St. Catherine Hospital 0 100 100 100

St. Francis Hospital 1 100 100 100

St. John’s Hospital 7 100 100 100

St. Mary Medical Center 0 0 0 100

St. Mary’s Hospital 0 0 0 100

Stroger Hospital of Cook County 1 100 100 50

Swedish Covenant Hospital 1 100 100 100

Taylorville Memorial Hospital 0 NA NA NA

Trinity Medical Center: West 0 NA NA NA

University of Chicago Medicine 3 100 50 67

University of Illinois Hospital 3 50 50 100

Vista Medical Center: East 5 86 86 100

Weiss Memorial Hospital 0 100 100 100

West Suburban Medical Center 1 100 100 100

Westlake Community Hospital 0 NA 100 100

Totals 106 71% 74% 91%

15 Connections - State of DonationConnections - Hospital Performance Metrics

STATE OF DONATION

118,022in U.S.

5,193in Illinois

1,420in Indiana

The�number�of�patients�waiting��for�heart,�liver,�kidney,�lung,�pancreas�

or�small�bowel�transplants�as�of��May�15,�2013.

69%Of adults (18 or older) in Indiana are registered as organ donors.

5,278,227Illinois Organ & Tissue Donor Registry

As of April 30, 2013

53%Of adults (18 or older) in Illinois are registered as organ and tissue donors.

18An average of 18 peopledie each day while waitingfor a transplant.

10Every 10 minutes, a new person is added to the national transplant waiting list.

25One donor can save orenhance the lives ofmore than 25 people.

Make a Difference!REGISTER TO BEAN ORGAN ANDTISSUE DONORGiftofHope.org

2013 * 2012 *

Organ Donors 106 78

Organs Transplanted 265 215

Organs Per Donor 2.55 2.76

Tissue Donors 501 377

Bone Donors ** 307 301

Heart Valves Recovered ** 62 49

Skin Donors ** 399 223

*Through 4/30 **Subset of Tissue Donors

Calendar of Events

June 8Advocates for Hope OrientationSpringfield, Ill.GiftofHope.org

June 27All Eyes On You GalaThe Peninsula ChicagoIllinoisEyeBank.org

July 4 – 7Morgan D’Organ at Naperville RibfestNaperville, Ill.Ribfest.net

July 25 – 28Morgan D’Organ at Fiesta del SolChicagoFiestaDelSol.org

August 1National Minority Donor Awareness DayMinorityhealth.hhs.gov

August 10Morgan D’Organ at Bud Billiken ParadeChicagoBudBillikenParade.com

August 11Morgan D’Organ at Northalsted Market DaysChicagoNorthalsted.com

October 18Lifesaving Partners Awards GalaThe Hyatt Lodge at McDonald’s CampusOak Brook, Ill.

November 15 – 17 National Donor SabbathGiftofHope.org

Indiciahere

Register to Be an Organ and Tissue Donor at GiftofHope.org

425 Spring Lake Drive Itasca, IL 60143

A Donate Life Organization ADDRESS�CORRECTION�REQUESTED

JOIN OUR MAILING LISTLooking�at�a�hand-me-down�copy�of�Connections�and�want�one�to�call�your�very�own?�Then�join�our�mailing�list.�Send�your�request�today�to:�tsullivan@giftofhope.org