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By Chris Brown

Specialists to coordinate on organ donation and transplantation opportunities in Alberta

May 9, 2022 | 10:26 AM

A new provincial program will coordinate an Alberta-wide response to improve organ donation and transplantation opportunities.

Twenty-two specialist physicians in intensive care units and emergency departments are available 24-7 to improve identification of potential donors, support families considering consent at a difficult time and save more lives. The $2-million Specialist in End-of-Life Care, Neuroprognostication and Donation (SEND) program will start with six SEND physicians and one program lead in both Calgary and Edmonton.

Specialists will also be at children’s hospitals in those cities and in Lethbridge, Red Deer and Grande Prairie. The program is expected to be expanded to Medicine Hat and Fort McMurray next year.

The province says the SEND program delivers improved education for physicians, residents and other health-care providers regarding end-of-life care, neuroprognostication and organ and tissue donation, to help ensure opportunities for donation are not missed.

Before this, northern and southern Alberta each had a medical director who also functioned as donation specialist physicians. However, there were no dedicated donation physician positions for individual hospitals and intensive care units.

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Alberta’s donation rate has increased by 28 per cent from 2011, the province says, but still hundreds of Albertans are waiting for life-saving transplants.

The Southern Alberta Transplant Program performed 105 organ transplants in 2021, breaking the previous record of 101 set in 2017.

Albertans who are interested in becoming an organ and tissue donor can register their consent in one easy step at ultimategiftalberta.ca or in person at an Alberta registry office.