Leading Transplant Advocacy Organizations Launch The Transplant Community Coalition

Transplant advocacy organizations join forces to tackle community unmet needs at each stage of their journey

Grand Rapids, MI (February 16, 2022) –  Today, The Transplant Community Coalition officially launched with a mission to address the most pressing unmet needs of the transplant community at each stage in their journey.

Members of the Coalition include:

• American Transplant Foundation

• Chris Klug Foundation

• Donate Life Coalition of Michigan

• The John Brockington Foundation

• Keep Swimming Foundation

• Michigan Donor Family Council

• NJ Sharing Network

• Transplant Life Foundation

The Coalition was born out of collaboration through the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly after the pandemic hit in 2020, the founding members of the Coalition united to develop a central hub designed to help the transplant community navigate uncertain times. The organizations launched a resource rich website complete with financial and mental health support to vaccine questions and concerns, hosted two informational webcasts including representatives from the CDC, leading transplant physicians and advocates, and developed and distributed 5,000 informational pamphlets in English and Spanish to the African American and Hispanic communities to encourage vaccination in minority populations.

The profound impact the collaboration had inspired coalition leaders to push for more. “Joining forces with fellow transplant advocacy organizations illuminated the impact we could make as a united front and inspired us to keep the momentum going in an effort to address the transplant community’s most pressing challenges as a team,” said Bill Ryan, President & CEO of the Transplant Life Foundation and Lead for the Transplant Community Coalition. “We’re proud of what we have accomplished thus far and are energized by the tremendous potential we have to make a meaningful and lasting impact.”

The Coalition’s new mission spans across four core pillars:

• Guiding transplant recipients as they navigate COVID-19 and life as an immuno-compromised individual

• Diversifying donors to get organs to minority communities that are disproportionately represented on the transplant waiting list

• Supporting those awaiting transplant and their loved ones with custom resources and opportunities for connection

• Engaging donor families by developing custom support resources and opportunities to elevate the mission and impact of donation.

The Coalition has already begun delivering on their mission having recently submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on ways that the government can improve both the organ transplantation system and dialysis care. 

Visit www.transplantcommunitycoalition.com to read the full set of recommendations submitted to CMS and to keep up with future coalition initiatives.