RFK Jr. announces 'historic crackdown' on 'broken' organ donation system

The Trump administration disclosed on Thursday what personnel called a historic crackdown on the nation s troubled organ procurement system pledging stronger oversight accountability and subject safety reforms Every American should feel safe becoming an organ donor and giving the gift of life HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr disclosed during a press conference Yet decades of ignored recipient safety concerns have driven more and more Americans off the donor list In the current era under President Trump s leadership we are taking bold action and historic action to restore trust in the organ procurement process ORGAN DONORS' LIVES ENDANGERED BY RUSHED TRANSPLANT PROCEDURES PROBE FINDSFor the first time in U S history the Department of Fitness and Human Services is moving to decertify an organ procurement organization OPO mid-cycle OPOs are typically only assessed during a scheduled review period The Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency based in Miami Florida has a long record of deficiencies directly tied to individual harm Kennedy mentioned Staffing shortfalls alone may have caused as several as eight missed organ recoveries each week Roughly one life lost each day Kennedy shared the story of his nephew Michael who had cerebral palsy and died at age His organs went on to save multiple lives PERSON DIES FROM RABIES AFTER ORGAN TRANSPLANT FROM INFECTED DONORThe secretary urged Americans to think ahead claiming that organ donation is something all of us need to think about It s an extraordinary gift and will give meaning to our lives No matter how different we are on the outside we re all the same inside and we can give the gift of life to each other Dr Mehmet Oz administrator of the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services underscored the significance of the decision calling organ donation the gift of love This is the first time ever in history there s been a mid-cycle de-certification of an organ procurement organization he revealed at the conference ALCOHOL-RELATED LIVER TRANSPLANTS ON THE RISE AMONG YOUNG ADULTS CLINICIAN SAYSOz also noted that there are people presently waiting for organs in America While I m speaking another person will be added to that list During this press conference someone waiting for an organ is going to die he reported He noted that donated organs go unmatched and discarded each year and that every missed donation is a lost opportunity to save a life Dr Marty Makary commissioner of food and drugs at the U S Food and Drug Administration called the waste of organs a tragedy For too long we ve seen conflicts of interest gaming of the system inefficiencies In the present day is the first time ever that we have seen an action initiated against an organ procurement organization Makary stated Thomas J Engels administrator of the Wellbeing Information and Services Administration revealed modernization is already underway claiming the organization has opened a direct reporting channel for misconduct and safety concerns CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR PHYSICAL CONDITION NEWSLETTERThere will also be new investments into the programs including million to aid living donors by covering nonmedical costs like lost wages passage and childcare Experts also pointed to the future of transplant science citing current moves to green-light the first clinical trials for xenotransplantation animal-to-human transplants They also discussed how D printing of organs may one day be viable Oz stated the new reforms send a tough message to other organ procurement organizations There s a new sheriff in town and we re coming for them if they don t take care of the American people MORE IN PHYSICAL CONDITION NEWSThe Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency in Miami Florida posted the report below on its website in response to the HHS announcement We are aware of the decision issued nowadays by the Department of Healthcare and Human Services and of the agency s investigations into organ procurement practices across the country We will cooperate fully with HHS to ensure a smooth transition and will not appeal We hope that other OPOs follow suit in putting patients first Our focus remains on protecting the dignity of donors supporting their families and advancing the life-saving mission of organ transplantation