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Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network

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The table below shows Pending policy notices with detailed Item name, board action date, and target implementation date

ItemActionTarget implementation date
National Heart Review Board for Pediatrics 6/2020 Board action 06/15/2021
Align OPTN Policy with US PHS Guideline 2020
  • Policy 14.8.B: Living Donor Specimen Collection and Storage
  • Policy 14.3: Informed Consent Requirements
 12/2020 Board action 06/2021
Combined Policy Notice for VCA Membership Requirements (2020)
VCA Membership Bylaws Requirements
VCA - List Covered Body Parts - 1 of 2
  • Policy 1.2: Definitions
  • Bylaws Appendix D: Membership Requirements for Transplant Hospitals and Transplant Programs; Appendix J: Membership Requirements for Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) Transplant Programs; and Appendix M: Definitions
Align VCA Program Membership Requirements with Other Programs		 6/2015, 6/2016, 6/2018 Board action 06/2021
Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Equivalency Tables Update 2020 6/2020 Board action 06/2021
Changes to Islet Bylaws 12/2018 Board action 06/2021
Updated Cohort for Calculation of the LAS 12/2020 Board action 07/2021
Modify Data Submission Policies 12/2019 Board action 08/2021
Further Enhancements to the National Liver Review Board 12/2020 Board action 09/2021
OPTN Data Collection Changes: Update to VCA Transplant Outcomes Data Collection 12/2020 Board action 06/2022
Programming VCA Allocation in UNet 12/2020 Board action 06/2022
Modify Data Collection on Living VCA Donors (pending OMB approval) 12/2020 Board action 06/2022

The table below shows Implemented policy notices with detailed Item name, board action date, and effective implementation date

ItemActionEffective date
Implemented policy items in 2021    

Expedited Liver Placement

 12/2019 Board action 3/25/2021

Pancreas Removal of DSA

 12/2019 Board action 03/15/2021

Kidney Removal of DSA

 12/2019 Board action 03/15/2021

Addressing Medically Urgent Candidates in New Kidney Allocation Policy

 6/2020 Board action 03/15/2021

Distribution of Kidneys and Pancreata from Alaska

 6/2020 Board action 03/15/2021

Modifications to Released Kidney and Pancreas Allocation

 6/2020 Board action 03/15/2021

Guidance and Policy Addressing Adult Heart Allocation

  • Policy 6.1.A.ii: Non-dischargeable, surgically implanted, non-endovascular biventricular support device: Effective March 4, 2021
  • Policy 6.1.C.vi: Mechanical Circulatory Support Devise (MCSD) with Device Infection: Effective March 4, 2021
  • Policy 6.1.D.ii: Inotropes without Hemodynamic Monitoring: Effective March 4, 2021
  • Guidance for Adult Heart Exceptions for
    Status 2 Candidates Experiencing Cardiogenic Shock: Effective February 9, 2021
 12/2020 Board action 2/9/2021, 3/4/2021

Align OPTN Policy with US PHS Guideline 2020

Split implementation. Additional actions targeted for June 2021 implementation.

  • 1.2: Definitions
  • 2.2: OPO Responsibilities
  • 2.4: Deceased Donor Medical and Behavioral History
  • 2.5: Hemodilution Assessment
  • 2.7.A: Exceptions to HIV Screening Requirement
  • 2.9: Required Deceased Donor Infectious Disease Testing
  • 13.11:  Receiving and Accepting KPD Match Offers
  • 14.1.A: Living Donor Psychosocial Evaluation Requirements
  • 14.4.A: Living Donor Medical Evaluation Requirements
  • 14.9.B: Psychosocial and Medical Evaluation Requirements for Domino and Non-Domino Therapeutic Donors
  • 15.2:  Potential Candidate Screening Requirements
  • 15.3.B: Donors with  Risk Identified Pre-Transplant
  • 15.3.C: Recipients of Organs from Donors with   Increased Risk of Disease Transmission
  • 16.3.D: internal labeling of Extra Vessels
 12/2020 Board action 03/2021

Guidance Addressing the Use of Pediatric Heart Exceptions

 12/2020 Board action 2/9/2021
Further Enhancements to the National Liver Review Board
  • Split implementation. Additional actions targeted for June 2021 implementation.
  • Guidance to Liver Transplant Programs and the National Liver Review Board for Adult MELD Exception Review
 12/2020 Board action 2/9/2021
Implemented policy items in 2020    
Establish Pediatric Training and Experience 12/2015 Board actions 12/7/2020
Revise Pediatric Emergency Membership Exception Pathway 12/2017 Board action 12/7/2020
Incorporating COVID-19 Related Organ Failure In Candidate Listings 10/2020 Board action 10/28/2020
Enhancements to the National Liver Review Board
  • Policies 9.4.A: MELD or PELD Score Exception Requests and 9.4.D: Calculation of Median MELD or PELD at Transplant: Effective August 4, 2020
  • Operational Guidelines: Effective August 4, 2020
  • Operational Guidance: Effective August 4, 2020
  • Policies 9.4.C: MELD or PELD Score Exception Extensions and 9.5.I.vii: Extensions of HCC Exceptions: Effective September 10, 2020
 6/2020 Board action 8/4/2020, 9/10/2020
Guidance and Policy Modifications Addressing Blood Type Determination
  • Guidance: Effective June 8, 2020
  • Policy: Effective September 1, 2020
 6/2020 Board action 6/8/2020,9/1/2020
Modify the Conflicts of Interests Bylaws 6/2020 Board action 7/1/2020
Creation of OPTN Heart and Lung Committees 3/2020 Board action 7/1/2020
Modify Lung TRF to Improve Post Transplant Lung Function Data 6/2018 Board action 6/30/2020
Eliminate the Use of Regions in VCA Distribution 6/2019 Board action 6/18/2020
Modify HOPE Act Variance to Include Other Organs 6/2019 Board action 5/21/2020
COVID-19 Emergency Policy Package 04/2020 Executive Committee action 4/3/2020
Clarifications on Reporting Maintenance Dialysis 6/2019 Board action 4/1/2020
Updates to Candidate Data During 2020 COVID-19 Emergency 03/2020 Executive Committee action 3/17/2020
Variances Removal Policy Notice 12/2019 Board action 3/1/2020
Clarification of Pre-Existing Liver Disease 12/2019 Board action 3/1/2020
Addressing HLA Typing Errors 12/2018 Board action 2/27/2020
Access for Urgent Liver Candidates in Hawaii & Puerto Rico 01/2020 Executive Committee action 2/18/2020
Liver and Intestine Distribution Using Distance from Donor Hospital 12/2018 Board action 2/4/2020
Reduce Reporting Burdens and Clarify Policies on Extra Vessels
  • Table 16.1: Required information on internal labels for extra vessels, number 7 (donor infectious disease results)
 6/2018 Board action 1/29/2020
Update Transplant Hospital Definition 12/2016 Board action 1/13/2020
Eliminate the Use of DSAs in Thoracic Organ Distribution 6/2019 Board action 1/9/2020
Implemented policy items in 2019    
Adding DR Antigens and Equivalences 12/2019 Board Action 12/4/2019
Hope Act Policy and Mini Brief 12/2019 Board action 12/3/2019
Modify Appointment Process for the Histocompatibility Vice Chair 12/2019 Board Action 12/3/2019
Aligning Units of Distribution in Closed Variance for Split Liver Transplantation 12/2019 Board Action 12/3/2019
Split Liver Variance 6/2019 Board action 12/3/2019
Revising Priority Points in Kidney Paired Donation Program 12/2015 Board action;
10/2019 Executive Committee action		 10/24/2019
Improving Dual Kidney Allocation 12/2017 Board action 9/2019
Improving en Bloc Kidney Allocation 12/2017 Board action 9/2019
Changes to Waiting Time Criteria for Kidney-Pancreas Candidates 6/2018 Board action 7/11/2019
Guidance on Effective Practices in Organ Distribution 6/2019 Board action 6/10/2019
Ethical Implications of Multi-Organ Transplants White Paper 6/2019 Board action 6/10/2019
Revised National Liver Review Board Policies 12/2018 Board action 5/14/2019
National Liver Review Board 6/2017 Board action 5/14/2019
Histocompatibility Bylaws Rewrite: General Supervisor 6/2015 Board action 3/1/2018
Pancreas Program Functional Inactivity 12/2018 Board action 4/8/2019
Addressing HLA Typing Errors
  • Policy 2.2 (OPO responsibilities)
  • Bylaws C.2.D (OPO affiliation)
 12/2018 Board action 3/1/2019
Amend CPRA Calculator 1/2019 Executive Committee action 1/17/2019
Implemented policy items in 2018    
Change to Hospital-Based OPO Voting Privileges 12/2018 Board action 12/4/2018
Frameworks for Organ Distribution 12/2018 Board action 12/4/2018
Pediatric Transition and Transfer Guidance 12/2018 Board action 12/3/2018
Intestine Membership Bylaws Requirements 6/2015 Board action 11/20/2018
Modify Adult Heart Allocation 12/2016 Board action 10/18/2018
Clarification of Adult Heart Allocation 8/2017 Executive Committee action 10/18/2018
Review Board Guidance on HCM and RCM Exceptions 6/2018 Board action 10/18/2018
Modifications to the Distribution of Deceased Donor Lungs 6/2018 Board action 10/18/2018 (Policy 6.6.F)
6/12/2018 (Policies 1.2, 10.2.A, 10.4)
Clarify Informed Consent Policies for Transmittable Diseases 6/2018 Board action 9/1/2018
Reduce Reporting Burdens and Clarify Policies on Extra Vessels 6/2018 Board action 9/1/2018 (except table 16.1)
VCA - List Covered Body Parts (2 0f 2)
  • Bylaws Appendix J: Membership Requirements for Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) Transplant Programs: Effective September 1, 2018
  • Policy 1.2: Definitions: Target implementation date: December 2021
  • Bylaws Appendix D: Membership Requirements for Transplant Hospitals and Transplant Programs; Appendix J: Membership Requirements for Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) Transplant Programs; and Appendix M: Definitions: Target implementation date: December 2021
 6/2016 Board action 9/1/2018
Improving the Efficiency of Organ Allocation 12/2017 Board action 3/1/2018 (Policies 2.2, 2.11 and 2.12)
5/2/2018 (Policies 1.2 and 5.6.B)
6/12/2018 (Policies 2.11.A and 2.11.D)
6/13/2018 (Policy 5.6.C)
Revising OPTN Bylaws Appendix L 6/2018 Board action 6/12/2018
Retrospective Review of Clerical Policy Changes 6/2018 Executive Committee action 6/12/2018
Approved Transplant Fellowship Training Programs Bylaws 12/2017 Board action 3/1/2018
Definition of Pancreas Graft Failure 6/2015 Board action 2/28/2018
Modification to HCC Extension Criteria   2/5/2018
Implemented policy items in 2017    
HCC Auto Approval Criteria Changes 12/2016 Board action
12/2017 Executive Committee action		 12/12/2017
Lung Allocation Policy Modification 11/2017 Executive Committee action 11/24/2017
Standardize Organ Coding and Tracking System 2/2017 Executive Committee action 11/01/2017
Improve the Categorization of Living Donor Events 9/2017 executive committee action 10/18/2017
Add DQA-1 Equivalences Table 6/2016 Board action
6/2017 Executive Committee action		 9/12/2017
Update HLA Equivalency Tables 12/2015 Board action
4/2017 Executive Committee action		 9/12/2017
Personnel Procurement Requirements 12/2015 Board action 9/1/2017
Foreign Equivalent in Bylaws 12/2015 Board action 9/1/2017
Bylaws Rewrite 6/2017 Board action 9/1/2017
Primary Kidney Transplant Physician Update 12/2016 Board action 9/1/2017
Clarification to Apply Kidney Minimum Acceptance Criteria to Highly Sensitized Candidates 7/2017 Executive Committee action 9/1/2017
Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Allocation 6/2016 Board action 8/10/2017
Kidney: KAS Clarifications (part) 6/2016 Board action 6/29/2017
Retrospective Review of Clerical Changes to Policies 6/2017 Executive committee action 6/29/2017
Informed Consent Changes - Potential Living Donors 12/2016 Board action 6/1/2017
Improving Post-Transplant Communication (part) 6/2016 Board action; Required toxoplasmosis testing of all donors 4/6/2017
Pediatric Lung Allocation Changes 12/2015 Board action 3/30/2017
All Other KPD Guidelines to Policy (part) 6/2015 Board action 3/30/2017
Post-Implementation ABO Policy Changes 12/2016 Board action 3/1/2017
Primary Transplant Surgeon Changes 12/2016 Board action 3/1/2017
Primary Transplant Physician Subspecialty Changes 12/2016 Board action 3/1/2017
Remove Donor Location from Required Procurement Log 12/2016 Board action 3/1/2017
Changes to Imminent and Eligible Definitions 12/2016 Board action 1/1/2017
Implemented policy items in 2016    
Retrospective Review of Clerical Changes to Policies 12/2016 Executive committee action 11/10/2016
Registration Fee 6/2016 Board action 10/1/2016
DTAC Policy Clarification 6/2016 Executive Committee action 9/1/2016
OSC Policy Clarification 8/2016 Executive Committee action 9/1/2016
HOPE Act 6/2016 Board action 9/1/2016
Improving Post-Transplant Communication (part) 6/2016 Board action 9/1/2016
Kidney: KAS Clarifications (part) 6/2016 Board action 9/1/2016
Regional Councillor Vacancy 6/2016 Board action 9/1/2017
Living Donor Candidate Registration 4/2016 Executive Committee action 4/14/2016
Retrospective Review of Clerical Changes to Policies 12/2016 Executive committee action 4/14/2016
Implemented policy items in 2015    
KPD Informed Consent 6/2015 Board action 12/1/2015

COVID-19 Emergency Policies and Data Collection

Implemented

  • 1.4.F: Updates to Candidate Data during 2020 COVID-19 Emergency
  • 2.11: Required Deceased Donor Information
  • 3.7.D: Applications for Modification of Kidney Waiting Time during 2020 COVID-19 Emergency
  • 18.1: Data Submission Requirements
  • 18.1.A: Retrospective Data Collection during COVID-19 Emergency
  • 18.2: Timely Collection of Data
  • 18.5.A: Reporting Requirements after Living Kidney Donation
  • 18.5.B: Reporting Requirements after Living Liver Donation