N E W S  R E L E A S E

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 12, 2016

Saratoga Hospital Honors Organ and Tissue Donors by Raising Donate Life Flag,
Celebrating Donate Life Month

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK, April 12, 2016 – Saratoga Hospital will be flying a Donate Life flag for the duration of National Donate Life Month, a month-long celebration held every April that showcases the lifesaving benefits of donation and encourages New Yorkers to enroll in the New York State Donate Life Donor Registry.

Angelo Calbone, President and CEO of Saratoga Hospital, participating in the Donate Life flag-raising in front of the hospital to celebrate National Donate Life Month that showcases the need for organ and tissue donations.

The intent of the flag is to not only celebrate the heroic decision to donate life, but to raise awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation. The hospital will also join the Center for Donation and Transplant (CDT) in participating in a number of different events supporting the incredible gifts of life given by donors and raising awareness about the importance of signing up on the New York State Donate Life Registry, including participation in National Wear Blue and Green Day, held on April 15, 2016.

“It is an honor to work with the Center for Donation and Transplant to provide such a meaningful service to the Saratoga community, and beyond”,  said Diane Bartos, DNP, RN,NEA-BC, Administrative Director ICU, Cardiovascular Services and the Saratoga Hospital liaison with the Center for Donation and Transplant. “There is an extraordinary need for organ and tissue donations. Raising the flag is one small part of creating awareness and encouraging people to register. While Saratoga County ranks as one of the highest in registration participation in New York State, there is always room to grow.” In addition to raising the Donate Life flag for the month of April, every time there is an organ or tissue donation at the hospital, a flag is raised for one week to honor the donor and family.

The flags are provided by the Center for Donation and Transplant, the organ procurement organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in 30 counties throughout New York and Western Vermont. Once the flags are raised and flown, CDT’s family services specialists send the flags to the donors’ families as a keepsake to remember their loved one.

Friday, April 15 is National Wear Blue and Green Day to help raise awareness of the importance of enrolling in the New York State Donate Life Registry.

“Saratoga Hospital has always been an incredible partner, compassionate in their support for donor families and committed to celebrating those who have given the gifts of life through organ and tissue donation,” Lauren Quinn, Director of Hospital and Community Services at the Center for Donation and Transplant said. “The fact that the flag is flown in their loved one’s honor is incredibly meaningful to our donor families. This April, we hope that the flags also spread the message of the life-saving benefits of donation and encourage community members to learn more and register as donors on the New York State Donate Life Organ and Tissue Registry.”

More than 10,200 New Yorkers are currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, and every 10 minutes, another person is added to the national transplant waiting list. Sadly, an average of one New Yorker passes every 15 hours because the organs they need are not available. Despite the urgent need, New York State ranks as one of the lowest states in the nation when it comes to the number of eligible residents on the New York State Donate Life Registry, with only 25 percent of eligible residents registered in comparison to the national average of 50 percent. Those that do receive the call that they’ve long been waiting for – that a matching, healthy, transplantable organ has been found – are given a second chance at life.

To register as a donor or for more information about how to get involved, please visit the Center for Donation and Transplant’s website at www.donatelifecdt.org.

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About Saratoga Hospital: Saratoga Hospital is the Saratoga region’s leading healthcare provider. The only acute-care facility in Saratoga County, the hospital has a medical staff of over 450 physicians and other credentialed providers, offering care in a broad range of medical specialties. In keeping with its emphasis on quality, Saratoga Hospital was the first in the Capital Region to earn Magnet Designation for nursing excellence. Hospital facilities include: Saratoga Hospital, Saratoga Hospital Nursing Home, Wilton Medical Arts, Saratoga Surgery Center, Milton Health Center, Saratoga Community Health Center and the Mollie Wilmot Radiation Oncology Center. The hospital’s physician practice, Saratoga Regional Medical Group, includes physicians in the following specialties: cardiology, dentistry, endocrinology, family medicine, hematology/oncology, internal medicine, nephrology, neurology, occupational medicine, oncology, pain management, physiatry, podiatry, primary care, psychiatry, pulmonary medicine, surgery and urology. For more information, go to www.saratogahospital.org. 

About The Center for Donation & Transplant: The Center for Donation & Transplant facilitates organ and tissue donation in northeastern New York and western Vermont.  CDT ensures that the option of donation is offered to families in an informative and compassionate manner, and provides long-term support and comfort to families and hospital personnel involved in the donation process.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Peter Hopper
Saratoga Hospital
Director of Marketing and Communications
518-583-8679
phopper@saratogahospital.org

Shaina Kaye
Center for Donation and Transplant
(518) 262-5606