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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Jackie D. Lynch, BS, Director, Community Affairs, ROBI: Regional Organ Bank of Illinois, 660 North Industrial Drive, Elmhurst, IL 60126, 630-758-2732, jlynch@robi.org, Shaffdeen A. Amuwo, MPH, PhD, Community Health Sciences, Univesity Of Illinois School of Public Health, 2110 West Taylor St. rm 109, Chicago, IL 60612, Johnson Sonoiki, MD, MPH, Community Network, Ambulatory Health Care Network of Cook County, Chicago, IL, Woodlawn Health Center, 6337 S.Woodlawn, Chicago, IL 60653, and Shirley Sadaqa, MPH, LD, Ambulatory/ Sengstacke Clinic, Ambulatory Health Care NETWORK of Cook County, 501 E. 51st Street, Chicago, IL 60615.
Trends/Increase in Organ Donations among African Americans: Examination of a Successful Strategy
Over 8000 persons are on the waiting list for organs. This is particularly important among minorities as only 22% of African Americans (AA) is registered to donate their kidneys. At the same time, over 50 % of persons on the waiting list are AA. Only a few would disagree that the experience of injustice, racism, lynching, research exploitation and fear has contributed to the disparity. In 1987, the Regional Organ Bank of Illinois embarked on an ambitious program that has successfully addressed this disparity. The methodology employed included: 1) Community Awareness of the problems and the impact through Community/Media Partnership; 2) Community Leadership Involvement through personal stories, public articulation of the need and personal participation; 3) Creation of partnership between hospitals, Community Based Organization and Academe; and, 4) the use of Driving License facility for a program aimed at educating potential donors. The results: 1) an increase in AA donors over a period of ten years; 2) Over 75% decrease in consent time from two to three hours to 30 to 45 minutes. Furthermore, analysis of data we collected in implementing a special program show the following: increase in 1) consent; 2) donors 3) Awareness and, 4) community participation In our presentation, we will show: 1) The ten year trend of organ donors and waiting list by ethnicity/race; 2) the sequential events that contributed to the increase; and, 3) the results of special campaign.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: ROBI
Regional Organ Bank of Illinois
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.