MCLEAN,
Va., July 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The
Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) has been
recognized with a Power of Associations Gold Award by the American
Society of Association Executives (ASAE) for its successful
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) & Organ
Procurement Organizations (OPOs) Task Force initiative.
"AOPO is honored to receive this recognition from ASAE. Our
HBCU-OPO Task Force initiative represents a significant step
towards diversifying the organ donation and transplantation field.
By partnering with HBCU medical schools, we are not only providing
invaluable education opportunities but also fostering a more
inclusive future for healthcare," said Steve Miller, CEO of AOPO.
The Task Force created the framework for a first-of-its-kind
partnership between OPOs and HBCU medical schools. The
collaborative aims to increase organ donation and transplant among
Black Americans, expose Black medical students to careers in organ
donation and build trust within the community as a whole.
The first partnership program was established in the summer of
2023 between Meharry Medical College
and Tennessee Donor Services. Since then, programs have expanded to
multiple states, forging partnerships between Morehouse School of Medicine and LifeLink of
Georgia, Howard University School of Medicine and Infinite
Legacy and Charles R. Drew University of
Medicine & Science and OneLegacy.
The initial hands-on, educational program allows medical
students to shadow donation professionals and learn about the
complex organ donation process. Students gained firsthand
experience in identifying eligible donors, discussing donation with
grieving families, scrubbing into organ recovery surgeries, and
matching organs to recipients. Meharry Medical
College and the local OPO, Tennessee Donor Services, were
the first to pilot this program and were integral to its
success.
This is the first award AOPO has received from the American
Society of Association Executives (ASAE).
"Congratulations to AOPO for exemplifying the impact
associations have on the industries and professions they represent,
and on society at large," said ASAE President and CEO
Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE.
"It's always so incredibly satisfying to see associations going
above and beyond their everyday mission to change the world. We're
very proud to spotlight this award-winning initiative."
About the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations
(AOPO)
The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) is the
not-for-profit trade association leading the nation's organ
donation community to save and improve lives through organ, eye,
and tissue donation. Founded in 1984, AOPO advances organ donation
and transplantation by driving continual improvement of the
donation process, collaborating with stakeholders, and sharing
successful practices with its 48 member OPOs. AOPO envisions a
future where every opportunity for donation results in lives saved.
For more information, please visit www.aopo.org.
About The Power of Associations Awards
ASAE's Power of Associations Awards recognize the association
community's economic and societal contributions locally, nationally
and globally. ASAE will celebrate The Power of Associations Award
recipients during its annual Summit Awards Dinner on September 24, 2024, at the National Building
Museum in Washington, DC.
Contact Information:
Jenny
Daigle | jdaigle@aopo.org
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SOURCE Association of Organ Procurement Organizations