Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH) is being recognized for supporting organ and tissue donation to the fullest last year.
Two organ donors who died at the hospital over the last year led to eight organ transplants and 12 tissue donations for recipients, according to a news release from CGMH.
The hospital had a 100 per cent conversion rate because all of the people who wanted to be organ donors and who died in the hospital went on to become actual donors.
In addition to CGMH, 33 hospitals in the province were awarded a 2020/21 Ontario Health (Trillium Gift of Life Network) Hospital Achievement Award for their efforts to integrate organ and tissue donation into end-of-life care.
According to Dr. Mark Bonta, chief of internal medicine for the CGMH, working with the Trillium Gift of Life Network to arrange organ transplants for those on the Canadian waitlist takes a lot of organization and cooperation.
"I want to provide a big thank you to all our frontline team members working collaboratively to help our patients and make this a priority for our community, as well as for the broader community," said Bonta, who also serves as the co-chair of the CGMH Trillium Gift of Life Network committee.
Simcoe-Muskoka MPP Jim Wilson sent out personal congratulations to CGMH for the award.
"As our population ages, we need more organ and tissue donors than ever," said Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson. "Congratulations to the General and Marine Hospital for actively encouraging donations ... and thankyou to the generous donors and their families who give the gift of life."
According to the CGMH news release, there are more than 1,500 people are on the waitlist for a lifesaving organ transplant, and every three days someone will die waiting.
Over 90 per cent of Ontarians support donation, yet only 35 per cent have formally registered their consent for organ and tissue donation.
To register your consent for organ and tissue donation, visit ontario.ca/page/organ-and-tissue-donor-registration.
