Our staff works with designated contacts within these facilities to procure donor tissue for use in corneal transplants, research programs studying other blinding diseases and educational training of ophthalmic students.

The local organ procurement agency staff and the Eye Foundation staff consult with hospitals regarding the proper method for approaching the potential donor family with sensitivity and compassion.  Designated hospital personnel are advised to contact the Eye Foundation to assist in the fulfillment of  the steps in the donor process:

• notify organ procurement organization or eye bank of every death in your facility.
• confirm the suitability of a potential donor by providing:
  • Patient's diagnosis
    
  • Date of admission
    
  • Past medical history
    
  • Positive culture results
    
  • Patient's age
    
   
• provide the ODEF staff with next of kin information.

The Eye Foundation employs coordinators who are trained to guide the hospital contact through the steps in the process.  The Eye Foundation coordinator will check the patient's donor status and contact the grieving family about donation. If the patient wished to donate, a medical/social interview is completed with the family.  Then, tissue procurement proceeds.  The donor tissue is then processed at the Eye Foundation's laboratory and matched with an appropriate recipient on the waiting list.

Contact a Coordinator in Your Region
For the ODEF representative in your area, select the region of the state where your facility is located by clicking on the link.  To schedule an educational program for your staff or to obtain multiple copies of brochures for your orientation packets, click here.

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