October 4, 2011
UNOS Commemorates 25th Anniversary of Receiving OPTN Contract
On Sept. 30, 1986, United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) signed the first contract with the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to establish the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).
The first contract was for a one-year period to develop the infrastructure and initial policies of the OPTN. The network began formal operation under a second contract signed on Sept. 30, 1987.
The framework for the OPTN was established by the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984, which also mandated the establishment of the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Congress passed the Act to address the increasing success of organ transplantation in the early 1980s and, as a result, the rapidly increasing demand for transplantation. The OPTN was envisioned as a network to develop and coordinate the equitable allocation of organs from deceased donors among all transplant centers and organ procurement organizations nationwide.
The OPTN is enriched by the dedication and efforts of all who make it possible: those who have chosen, in life or upon death, to help others through organ donation; dedicated professionals in many disciplines who assist in organ recovery and transplantation; researchers and innovators who have broadened our understanding of transplant care and capabilities to provide it. We are unified in our efforts to serve transplant candidates and recipients and their loved ones who endure great hardship in the hope of receiving an opportunity for renewed life and health. Ultimately, we hope to provide this life-giving opportunity to all who remain in need.
804-782-4730