UNOS DonateLife

September 28, 2000

UNOS Again Receives Federal Contract for Transplant Allocation Network

Richmond, VA -  The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) today was again awarded the federal contract issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to administer the national system for organ matching and distribution. This represents the fifth consecutive time UNOS has received this unique contract, which UNOS has operated since it was first awarded in 1986.

"We're extremely pleased to have retained this important contract and thus continue to serve the needs of the more than 71,000 patients awaiting transplants, as well as the thousands of medical professionals who make them possible," said Walter Graham, UNOS executive director. "We believe this award reaffirms the Department's continued confidence in our ability to operate an effective and responsive national transplant system. We look forward to working closely with the Department, not only to operate but improve this unique medical network."

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) contract addresses development of organ allocation policy, maintenance of a national network to place organs, and development of professional and public education initiatives to enhance organ donation. The new OPTN contract has been substantially expanded. Under the contract, UNOS will have total responsibility for all transplant data collection. It also enables UNOS to conduct data analysis to accommodate requests from clinical researchers and the general public.

UNOS will continue to operate its award-winning Internet-based network and continue to maintain the world's largest, most complete database of transplant-specific data, thus providing clinicians and researchers with comprehensive, expert data analysis services.

"Given numerous additional tasks in the new OPTN contract, particularly the growing responsibility of data collection, UNOS plans to increase staff and organizational capacity," added Mr. Graham.

The OPTN contract is for a three-year term, with two additional one-year options. The value of the contract for the first three-year period is approximately $52 million. The two additional extensions could bring the entire contract value to more than $100 million.

For more than 15 years, UNOS, a nonprofit charitable organization, has effectively maintained the nation's organ transplant waiting list and brought together medical professionals, transplant recipients and donor families to develop organ allocation policy under contract with the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.