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2009 SESSION

094178624
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 799
Offered January 23, 2009
Commending the United Network for Organ Sharing on its 25th anniversary.
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Patron-- McClellan
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WHEREAS, one result of the numerous medical and scientific advances that have harnessed technology, created life-sustaining therapies, and transformed health care and many lives in the process is organ transplantation; and

WHEREAS, transplantation may be necessary when a person’s organ has failed or has been damaged by disease or injury; however, unfortunately, the need for organ donors is much greater than the number of people who donate organs, and approximately 18 people die each day in America while awaiting an organ; and

WHEREAS, on March 21, 1984, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) was founded in Richmond as a nonprofit organization to meet the growing demand for organ transplants nationwide; today, UNOS maintains the nation’s organ transplant waiting list, which currently has more than 100,000 men, women, and children awaiting a life-saving transplant; and

WHEREAS, UNOS administers the computerized national database that matches donated organs with transplant candidates, and collects data and shares the most comprehensive transplant database in the country used by researchers, medical facilities, transplant surgeons, donors, and recipients; and

WHEREAS, UNOS operates nonstop 365 days a year, ensures that all organs are equitably distributed, develops and implements organ-sharing policies that maximize the use of donated organs, and educates the public about the need for organ donation; and

WHEREAS, the UNOS Organ Center’s success is demonstrated by the following statistics: an average of 20 organ placements daily; 78 transplants per day with organs from both deceased and living donors; 132 new candidates listed daily on the National Waiting List, a new candidate every 11 minutes; more than 25,000 people received an organ transplant in 2008; since 1984, over 475,000 transplants have been performed; and 250,000 Americans are living today with a functioning transplanted organ; and

WHEREAS, a model for transplant systems around the world, the UNOS mission is promoted by 305 dedicated employees who serve as researchers, data analysts, and information technology professionals, many of them Virginians who have graduated from Virginia colleges and universities; and

WHEREAS, headquartered in the Virginia Bio-Technology Research Park in Richmond, UNOS provides a valuable service to improving transplant technology, increasing the number of organ donors, saving lives through organ transplantation, and improving the quality of life for persons throughout the Commonwealth and the nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the United Network for Organ Sharing on its 25th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Walter Graham, Executive Director of the United Network for Organ Sharing, as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration and appreciation of the organization’s exemplary work, commitment, and dedication to saving and improving the quality of life of thousands of citizens, and its best wishes for many productive years of service to the Commonwealth and the nation in the future.