Notice of implementation of new OPTN Membership Application forms
Published on: Wednesday, July 8, 2020
The federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is in the process of reviewing the most recent versions of all OPTN membership applications. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, submits membership application forms to OMB for public comment and approval every three years.
The OPTN uses the application documents to collect information to determine if the applicant meets all required criteria for membership under Appendix A of the OPTN Bylaws.
The OPTN Membership Applications under review have been considerably revised to make application requirements more clear and organized. The wording has been changed to make questions more consistent with the language of the OPTN Bylaws. In addition, the applications have been revised so that the sequence of questions is parallel to that of the Bylaws. This allows an applicant to have the application and the Bylaws side-by-side for easy reference.
Some of the more significant changes to the application include:
- The application order of documentation and attachments: The embedded transplant logs were revised in the form of a ‘universal’ surgeon and physician log that will be provided as a separate attachment to the application. This new log will provide applicants with all OPTN Bylaws requirements. Added technology utilized in the log should help applicants complete the log with limited errors.
- A single location for signature capture: The previous membership applications had several places for the applicants to sign. The new application requests only one signature from each individual member applicant involved.
- Key personnel changes and program components all on the same form. Additional changes to the application process include streamlining previous application attachments for key personnel, pediatric and living donor components into one form for the respective organ application. Personnel changes for Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) and Histocompatibility Laboratories have also been consolidated into organization applications. OPO and Lab applicants will be able to use one respective application for new and/or personnel changes.
Applicant requests for new membership and member requests for approval of new programs or new key personnel once the latest cycle of applications is approved must be submitted on the new application forms.
If you have any questions regarding membership applications, please contact the Membership team by email at MembershipRequests@unos.org or by calling (833) 577-9469.