Ben Taub General Hospital & LifeGift: Strengthening a Partnership to Save Lives and Improve Healthcare Delivery

摘要

Ben Taub General Hospital, working closely with LifeGift, consistently ranks at or near the top of the list of hospitals in the United States that receive informed consent for organ donation from patients' families. Presently, organs are procured from these patients only after they are transferred to nearby hospitals. If these organs were procured within Ben Taub General Hospital, the Harris County Hospital District would be able to capture much needed revenue and, more importantly, enhance patient care by increasing the conversion rate of organ donors and avoiding unnecessary transfers, easing an already difficult time for patients' families. The full implementation of an organ procurement program at Ben Taub General Hospital will involve support from almost every area of the hospital. Successful execution demands involvement from radiology, pharmacy, laboratory, emergency center, accounting, billing, operating room, and executive staff. In addition, extensive effort, in the form of policy and procedure creation and revision, and a reallocation and prioritization of resources is needed to ensure accomplishment of this task.