November 2024 Update:
Just one year after enactment of the Securing the US OPTN Act, HRSA has made major progress in implementing the new law. HRSA’s latest key actions include:
- July – For 40 years, the OPTN Board of Directors has been one-and-the-same as the corporate Board of Directors for the federal government’s contractor. HRSA has now separated the OPTN Board of Directors from the OPTN contractor to remove this conflict of interest and better serve patients and their families.
- August – HRSA awarded a new board support contract to the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to support the newly incorporated OPTN Board of Directors. AIR will support improved governance and ensure strong conflict of interest requirements as it supports the OPTN Board. It also will establish and support a transitional nominating committee that will develop a slate of candidates for a Board of Directors special election and support a special election for a new OPTN Board of Directors.
- September – HRSA has transitioned from a single vendor to multiple vendors to support OPTN operations to better reflect the comprehensive skills and expertise needed to manage this critical network.
First, HRSA issued awards under our new multi-vendor Operations Transition contract, including awarding five OPTN Modernization task orders to five different vendors to support critical actions including improving patient safety, supporting OPTN IT Modernization, increasing transparency and public engagement in OPTN policy development, strengthening patient-centered communication, and improving OPTN financial management.
Second, HRSA issued additional contract awards in FY24 to further build HRSA’s capacity for OPTN modernization efforts, including:- Improving Organ Transplantation Logistics and Transportation – MITRE will work to develop system requirements to improve how organs are transported safely including how to ensure trackability during transport.
- Evaluating Organ Allocation Policy – MITRE will work to develop an evaluation framework to assist HRSA in assessing organ allocation policy effectiveness.
- OPTN IT Modernization Strategy Implementation – Truss Works will inform HRSA’s IT modernization strategy and implementation.
- Program Management, Data Partnerships, and Analysis – Summome will provide comprehensive program management support and work with HRSA to coordinate multi-vendor OPTN activities and performance.
Together, through these new contracts and activities, HRSA is moving forward with important modernization work while ensuring continuity of OPTN operations with HRSA coordination and oversight.
2024 updates
- September 2024: HRSA Makes Multi-Vendor Modernization Awards to Support the Nation’s Organ Transplant System
- August 2024
- July 2024: A Historic Step to Modernize and Separate the OPTN Board of Directors
- June 2024: HRSA's Progress on Transforming the Organ Transplant System to Better Serve Patients and Families
- May 2024: HRSA's Latest Steps to Transform the Organ Transplant System to Better Serve Patients and Families
- February 2024: HRSA Takes Historic New Steps to Transform the Organ Transplant System to Better Serve Patients and Families
- December 2023: HRSA's approach to securing best-in-class expertise and an independent Board of Directors
- October 2023: OPTN Transition Contract Updates, Enhanced HRSA and CMS Collaboration, and HRSA Stakeholder Engagement
- September 2023: Enhanced HRSA and CMS Collaboration, HRSA Stakeholder Engagement, and Industry Day
- July 2023: Statement from HRSA Administrator on Passage of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act
- May 2023: The Path Forward
- March 2023: HRSA Announces Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Modernization Initiative
Frequently asked questions
The modernization initiative will encompass all functions of the OPTN, inclusive of IT and non-IT related activities. As part of the initial phase of the OPTN Modernization Initiative, HRSA is announcing the following actions:
- Build Capacity for Modernization – HRSA is building its capacity to support a modernized OPTN and will be engaging a Program Management Support contractor to assist in the modernization in addition to more than doubling resources available to support the initiative in its FY 2024 President’s Budget request.
- Make Data Available for Critical Decision Making – To assist patients, clinicians, and researchers, HRSA is publishing organ donation and transplantation data to improve data transparency and decision-making. View the OPTN Data Dashboard.
- Engage Stakeholders – HRSA will engage a diverse group of stakeholders early and often to identify and prioritize pressing areas of need for patients and clinicians.
- Improve OPTN functionality – In the next Request for Proposal (RFP), move towards separating OPTN support functions, which may include Board governance, OPTN operations, and IT systems. This approach will diversify the field of potential contractors, encouraging improved functionality through greater competition and innovation.
HRSA endeavors to keep stakeholders and the public apprised of updates in a transparent fashion. HRSA will publish the latest updates on OPTN Modernization Initiative progress on this page.
In addition, to assist patients, clinicians, and researchers, HRSA is publishing organ donation and transplantation data to improve data transparency and decision-making. View the OPTN Data Dashboard.
For all media inquiries, please contact press@hrsa.gov.
Resources
English
Spanish
- Visite el Panel de datos de la OPTN (en inglés)
- Explore los datos en el Archivo de Uso Público (PUF) (en inglés)
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