Bill Text: VA HJR956 | 2019 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending the United Network for Organ Sharing.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-2)
Status: (Passed) 2019-02-21 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ956ER) [HJR956 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2019-HJR956-Enrolled.html
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 20 people die each day in America while awaiting an organ; and
WHEREAS, on March 21, 1984, the nonprofit organization United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) was founded in Richmond to meet the growing demand for organ transplants nationwide; today, UNOS maintains the nation's organ transplant waiting list, which currently has nearly 114,000 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 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 operates nonstop, 365 days a year, helping place an average of 30 organs per day; and
WHEREAS, UNOS' accomplishments are demonstrated by the following statistics: an average of 100 transplants occur each day with organs from both deceased and living donors; more than 36,000 people receive an organ transplant each year; more than 750,000 transplants have been performed nationwide since 1984; and more than 315,000 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 375 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 BioTechnology 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 people 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 the occasion of its 35th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Brian Shepard, chief executive officer of United Network for Organ Sharing, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration and appreciation for 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.
