On behalf of the AOPO Executive Committee, the Program Committee and our host OPO, LifeGift, a very warm WELCOME to Houston, Texas for the 36th Annual Meeting of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations.
2018 marked our eighth consecutive record-breaking year for donation. The unwavering dedication of our OPO community, combined with the generosity of donors and donor families, led to more than 36,000 lifesaving transplants last year. Truly a remarkable achievement by any measure! As you participate in the various sessions this week, I encourage you to work collaboratively to unearth new, diverse ideas to elevate organ and tissue donation throughout the country.
Our theme this year is Shaping the Future – Together Towards Tomorrow. It is an exciting time for our field as we continue to see innovative breakthroughs in the industry like drones delivering organs, expanded perfusion, and increased transplantation of HIV and Hepatitis C-positive organs. Together, we are transforming donation and transplantation for the world!
A special thank you goes out to meeting chair, Kevin Myer, and vice-chair, Patti Niles, for leading the planning process. Additionally, special gratitude to the Annual Meeting Faculty, Elling Eidbo, AOPO Chief Executive Officer, and the AOPO staff for their hard work in preparation for what is sure to be an illuminating and inspirational week.
In a city known for space exploration milestones, let’s dream big and work together to take a giant leap into the future of donation and transplantation to save even more lives. Let our mantra for the week ahead be: Houston, we’ve got a solution.
Diane Brockmeier
President and CEO
Mid-America Transplant