Definitions for "Organ Procurement Organization"
Keywords:  opo, unos, transplant, donation, donor
An organization designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and responsible for the procurement of organs and tissues for transplantation and the promotion of organ and tissue donation. Fifty eight OPOs currently operate in the Unites States. The New York Organ Donor Network is the organ procurement organization serving the Greater New York metropolitan area. OPOs employ transplant coordinators who work with donor families and also provide educational programs to hospitals. OPOs may be based in a hospital or be independent of any particular hospital.
An organization designated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and responsible for the procurement of organs for transplantation and the promotion of organ donation. OPOs serve as the vital link between the donor and recipient and are responsible for the identification of donors, and the retrieval, preservation and transportation of organs for transplantation. They are also involved in data folow-up regarding deceased organ donors. As a resource to the community OPOs engage in public educationon the critical need for organ donation. See also Donation Service Area (DSA).
An organization responsible for donor identification and management. OPOs are also responsible for coordinating the allocation, surgical removal, preservation and transportation of organs for transplant. IOPO is the federally designated OPO for Indiana.