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Background Information

Probation is a public designation of an OPTN member institution.

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OPTN places New Mexico Donor Services on probation

Published on: Saturday, November 9, 2013

Atlanta - At its meeting today, the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors placed New Mexico Donor Services on probation. New Mexico Donor Services is the organ procurement organization responsible for coordinating organ donation throughout the state.

As established in the OPTN bylaws, probation is a public designation of an OPTN/UNOS member that is executing a corrective action plan for a violation of OPTN policies or bylaws or a serious lapse in patient safety or quality of care.

"While the organization has shown willingness to address deficiencies identified through medical peer review, we believe probation is warranted to ensure continued monitoring of their progress," said OPTN/UNOS president Kenneth Andreoni, M.D.

Summary of Events

New Mexico Donor Services had four reviews for compliance with OPTN obligations between November 2011 and September 2013. These reviews indicated several instances of noncompliance. The OPTN/UNOS Membership and Professional Standards Committee (MPSC) reviewed these issues and found repeated policy violations, as well as a lack of a culture of quality and a systematic approach to quality improvement.

In response to these issues, the MPSC undertook a systematic review, including the following steps:

  • MPSC interview with representatives of the institution conducted on July 31, 2013.
  • MPSC hearing with representatives of the institution conducted October 23, 2013.

Following the hearing, the MPSC recommended that New Mexico Donor Services be placed on probation. As part of its regularly scheduled November 2013 meeting, the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors approved the MPSC's recommendation