For immediate release: February 14, 2007
Contact: Emily Wofford Cobb
Public Relations Manager
775-784-6006
ewofford@unr.edu
Governor Gibbons applauds effort of Nevada’s Organ and Tissue Donor Program, announces new plan to encourage donor volunteers at state DMV offices
CARSON CITY, Nev.—Hearts are a traditional symbol of Valentine’s Day, but they also hold a special symbolic significance in healthcare as the red heart is the official logo for organ donation. Valentine’s Day, February 14th, celebrates National Organ Donor Awareness Day and encourages everyone to give the most precious gift they have to offer, the gift of life.
To mark the occasion, the Nevada Organ and Tissue Donor Program at the University of Nevada School of Medicine held a special legislative luncheon today to thank state lawmakers for their support of the program and to honor the success of the state’s specialized organ donor license plates. Governor Jim Gibbons and First Lady Dawn Gibbons were also in attendance to lend their support for the program, which the First Lady championed while serving as a state assemblywoman during the 2001 legislative session.
“Nationally, there are more than 95,000 people waiting for an organ or tissue transplant,” said Governor Gibbons. “Through the educational efforts of Nevada’s Organ and Tissue Donor Program we are working to reduce that number. Dawn and I encourage every Nevadan to add the ‘red heart’ to their driver’s license and become a donor.”
In further support of the program, the governor announced plans to add signs touting organ and tissue donation outside of every major Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office in the state. The signs will be aimed at increasing awareness for partnership initiatives between the DMV and organ donor program. Currently all Nevadans of legal driving age are asked by the DMV to become donors by adding a red heart to their driver’s license. If individuals agree to become donors, a red heart will be imprinted on the front of their license in addition to the words “organ donor.” While at the DMV, Nevadans may also purchase the specialized organ donor license plates or make a contribution of a $1 or more to the “Gift of Life Education Fund” which helps pay for the program’s educational efforts.
Since the passage of Assembly Bill 497 in 2001, more than 1,200 organ donor license plates have been purchased by Nevada drivers. Proceeds from the sale of the specialized license plates go toward the anatomical gift account which was established by the bill. The account is a funding mechanism derived from donations aimed at educating the public about the vital importance of organ and tissue donation.
“The organ donor program has significantly increased the number of donor volunteers in Nevada,” noted Trudy Larson, M.D., director of the Nevada Organ and Tissue Donor Program and professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine. “Now that the program is housed within the School of Medicine we look forward to expanding donor education programs and increasing awareness among healthcare professionals.”
After the establishment of AB 497, the First Lady and former state Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa started the program as the Nevada Organ and Tissue Donor Task Force. Originally, the Task Force was started as a program in the attorney general’s office; however, it was moved to the School of Medicine in January of last year. Since its inception, the organ donor program has worked with healthcare organizations across the state to increase awareness about the importance of organ donation in saving lives, has created bi-lingual promotional brochures for distribution in public offices and at events, and has produced yearly public service announcement campaigns targeted at increasing the number of Nevada donors.
For more information, please visit www.giftoflife.nv.gov or contact the Nevada Organ Donor Program administrator Cassandra Smith, R.N. at csmith@medicine.nevada.edu or 775-784-6171.
As the state’s only public medical school, the University of Nevada School of Medicine has been meeting statewide healthcare, educational, and clinical needs since 1969. The School of Medicine encompasses 16 clinical medical education departments, including Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, as well as ten nationally-recognized departments within basic science including microbiology and biomedical engineering. As the largest multi-specialty healthcare focus within the state, the School of Medicine employs more than 185 doctors who both teach and practice medicine throughout Nevada. The school’s statewide faculty physician practice group has a combined 25 different medical specialties with seven physician practice offices located in the Reno-Sparks area and five physician offices located in Las Vegas.
The University of Nevada School of Medicine utilizes a best-practice approach to medicine and is committed to addressing the health needs of Nevada now and in the future. For more information, please visit www.medicine.nevada.edu.
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