• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Health / Medicine / Ames hospital changes organ donor policy

Ames hospital changes organ donor policy

September 10, 2001 By admin

Trustees at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames have agreed on a new organ-donor policy. Vice President Neal Loes explains it changes the standard “brain-death” criteria for determining when a patient becomes a donor.In some cases of a terminal condition that’s incurable or irreversible, the patient and family can decide to donate when a ventilator is removed if it’s all that’s keeping them alive. Loes says a handful of Iowa hospitals have adopted the new guidelines, and it won’t affect many patients. Loes says the change shouldn’t raise any questions that donors might still be alive.He says the person’s heart has completely stopped and it’s confirmed by a doctor before surgeons start. Time is a critical issue in organ donation, Loes explains.Soon as death occurs, tissue starts to suffer damage so it must be done quickly and planned ahead. If you’ve thought about being an organ donor, the first place to put it in writing is on your driver’s license, the official way to register as a donor in Iowa. But make sure to talk to your family about it, too.The license isn’t enough; the Iowa Donor Network requires that if a patient can’t declare he’s a donor the family must say so. Loes says the shortage of donor organs still leaves many patients without lifesaving donations, and the new policy might be a small step toward helping.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Health / Medicine

Featured Stories

Governor Reynolds touts 2024 Iowa Caucuses in Inaugural Address

University of Iowa grad presiding over U.S. House Speaker vote

Iowan who was oldest person in the U.S. dies

Iowa Lottery to start making some payments via debit cards

State liquor sales appear to have returned to pre-pandemic level

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

No. 2 Iowa visits No. 1 Penn State in wrestling dual Friday night

Iowa’s Clark brings increased exposure to women’s basketball

No. 18 Iowa State women visit TCU

Northern Iowa men host Valparaiso

No. 12 Iowa State hosts No. 5 Kansas State

More Sports

Archives

Copyright © 2023 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC