TMH Recognized As Number-One Hospital in the Region For Organ Donation

TMH Will Receive LifeQuest Award of Excellence for Organ Donation at Event Tuesday, April 2

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Friday, March 29, 2024) - On Tuesday, April 2, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) will receive the LifeQuest Award of Excellence for its commitment to creating a culture that honors organ donation and for implementing best practices to increase the number of lives saved through organ donation. In 2023, TMH was the number-one donor hospital in LifeQuest's 36 county region covering north Florida with 34 organ donors providing life-saving transplants to 72 recipients.

LifeQuest representative Janet Shipman will present TMH President & CEO Mark O'Bryant with the Award of Excellence at the annual Donate Life flag-raising ceremony to honor those who gave the Gift of Life through organ, tissue and eye donation. The event will take place at 10 am Tuesday, April 2 at the TMH flagpole on the corner of Miccosukee Road and Magnolia Drive.

In addition to the flag-raising, the event will feature donation stories from Nancy Burke, a two-time heart recipient, and Rebecca and Paul DeFrank, parents of TMH organ donor, Alex DeFrank, as well as Suzanne Walker-Assad, TMH Donor Council Chair.

Tallahassee Memorial Music Therapy will perform and Spiritual Care Chaplain Danny Whitfield will lead a prayer honoring those who have donated, received or are awaiting donations.

Event attendees can also see the Nationwide Organ Recovery Transplant Alliance (NORA) vehicle, which is now stationed at TMH to provide transportation of organs to transplant centers, to move transplant teams from their centers to the recovery hospitals, for delivery of blood samples to testing facilities and more. The vehicle is equipped with lights and sirens, and NORA's drivers have backgrounds in law enforcement, fire services and emergency medical services, with training in the operation of vehicles in emergent situations.

April is National Donate Life Month to help encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to honor those who have saved lives through the gift of donation. You can learn more about organ, tissue and eye donation and register today at DonateLifeFlorida.org.