Columbus, OH, Oct. 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eighteen individuals and institutions were honored for their roles in saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation at the “Champions of Hope Gala” presented by Lifeline of Ohio on Saturday, October 14, 2023. A full list of award winners is below.
Columbus, OH, Mar 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lifeline of Ohio and the Donate Life community invites the public to come together on April 1 at 7:30 p.m. EST for a first-of-its-kind online musical celebration of life to kick off Donate Life Month.
“This event is a special reminder of the incredible collaboration throughout the donation process,” said Lifeline of Ohio CEO Andrew Mullins. “We are so pleased to be able to honor our partners for the important roles they play from registration of the donation decision to caring for our donors and families, recipients and patients waiting for their lifesaving gifts.”
In addition to the awards presentation, a keynote address was given by Elbert “Ickey” Woods, a former Cincinnati Bengals football player and donor father, who shared the story of his son, Jovante—a donor hero who was able to save five lives. Lifeline of Ohio’s Rooted in Life campaign was also unveiled to showcase the effort to diminish disparities in the Black community surrounding donation and transplantation.
Several donation champion awards were presented to community partners who play vital roles throughout the donation process. A full list of award winners is below.
Award winners in the area of increasing awareness and registering the donation decision:
- Community Partner Champion - National Pan-Hellenic Council of Columbus, Columbus, OH
- BMV Champion - Connor Drake; Deputy Registrar Field Representative, Ohio Department of Public Safety, Columbus, OH
Award winners in the area of advocating to create a culture of donation
- Hospital Executive Champion - Tauana McDonald, FACHE; President and Chief Operating Officer, Mount Carmel Grove City Hospital, Grove City, OH
- Hospital PR Champion - Laurie Labishak; Market Director – Marketing & Communications, Trinity Health System, Steubenville, OH
- Donation Liaison Champion - Bernita Watson, MBA, BSN, RN, CCRN-K; Clinical Nurse Manager, Marietta Memorial Hospital, Marietta, OH
Award winners in the area of honoring the donation decision, caring for donors and supporting families
- Hospital Donation Champion - Brooke Taviano, BSN; Director of Nursing, Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center, Lima, OH
- Nurse Champion - Chelsea McVay, BSN, RN, CCRN; Nurse Manager, NCCU, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
- Hospital Spiritual Care Champion - Jeffrey Smith, M.Div.; Retired - Director of Pastoral Services, Licking Memorial Hospital, Newark, OH
- Physician Champion - Dr. Matthew Exline; Pulmonary Disease & Critical Care Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
- Funeral Home Champion - Lori Diaz, Affinity Memorial Chapel, Columbus, OH and Marlan J. Gary, Marlan Gary Funeral Home Chapel of Peace, Columbus, OH
- Medical Examiner/Coroner Champion - Karie McWherter, M.Ed., D-ABMDI; Medicolegal Death Investigator, Delaware County Coroner’s Office, Delaware, OH
- Transplant Center Champion - Rachael Subleski, BS; Education Coordinator, Lung Transplant Assistant, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH
Award winners in the area of facilitating the gifts of life and healing
- OB/GYN Practice Champion - Adena Women's Health OB/GYN and Adena Women's Health OB/GYN Blackwater Road, Chillicothe, OH
- Placenta Hospital Champion - Genesis Hospital, Zanesville, OH
- Tissue Hospital Champion - OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, Athens, OH
- Donor Hospital Champion - OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, Delaware, OH
In addition, a S.T.A.R. Award was presented to Tim Nagy and Caryn Kaufman of Taft Law. The award recognizes the values of Service, Teamwork, Attitude and Respect, and is presented to a professional partner who displays a steadfast commitment to the Lifeline of Ohio mission to save and heal lives through the gift of donation.
The final award of the evening, the Legacy Award, was presented to Ryan Zinn, who celebrated his 35th heart transplant anniversary on September 26, 2023. Zinn, a former Transplant Games award-winning athlete, works tirelessly to spread donation awareness wherever he goes, whether it’s talking to local reporters or meeting with legislators on Capitol Hill.
Thanks to the advocacy of community and clinical champions and the generosity of Ohioans last year, the donation decision of 155 organ donor heroes and their families was honored, saving the lives of 378 individuals. In addition, 685 donor heroes gave the gift of healing through tissue and cornea donation, and 473 individuals made the decision to donate their placentas to create thousands of healing tissue grafts.
For more information about organ, eye and tissue donation, visit http://www.lifelineofohio.org
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About Lifeline of Ohio: An independent, non-profit organization, Lifeline of Ohio promotes and coordinates the donation of human organs and tissue for transplantation. Lifeline of Ohio serves 97 hospitals and facilities in 38 counties in Ohio and two in West Virginia and is designated as an organ procurement organization through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
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