Apply Transplant Notification Requirements for VCA Program Inactivation At a glance Current bylaws Current OPTN policy excludes Vascularized Composite Allograft (VCA) programs from Appendix K: Transplant Program Inactivity, Withdrawal, and Termination, which requires all other organ transplant programs to notify their waitlisted patients if the program is under short or long-term inactive status or can no longer transplant a subset of their patients. Additionally, Appendix J: Membership and Personnel Requirements for VCA Transplant Programs, categorizes genitourinary organs as one VCA type, for a total of eight VCA program types. Supporting media Presentation View presentation Proposed changes Remove the VCA exclusion from OPTN Bylaws, Appendix K: Transplant Program Inactivity, Withdrawal, and Termination When a program intends to voluntarily inactivate on a short- term basis, notification to the OPTN is not required but the program must provide candidates with a written summary of its Program Coverage Plan VCA programs that long-term inactivate are required to notify the OPTN and follow the outlined requirements should the program seek reactivation or extension of that long-term inactive status Update OPTN Bylaws, Appendix J: Membership and Personnel Requirements for VCA Transplant Programs Split the “genitourinary organ” VCA type into three separate categories of VCA: uterus, external male genitalia, and other genitourinary organs Increase the number of VCA program types from eight to ten Anticipated impact What it's expected to do Require VCA programs to notify patients if VCA program will be on short-term or long-term inactive status Increase VCA program types from eight to ten types Contribute to continued effort to align VCA programs with all organ types in OPTN Policy, Bylaws, and Procedures What it won’t do This bylaw change does not establish functional inactivity requirements for VCA Terms to know Short-term Inactivation: A transplant program that is inactive for no more than 14 consecutive days. Long-term Inactivation: A transplant program that is inactive for 15 or more consecutive days. Click here to search the OPTN glossary Provide feedback