Strengthening Patient Safety and Advancing Modernization Efforts

June 2026 update

OPTN Modernization is a coordinated effort to strengthen the nation’s organ donation, procurement, and transplant system through increased transparency, accountability, and innovation. These efforts focus on improving governance, enhancing technology infrastructure, and strengthening oversight to better serve patients, donors, and transplant professionals. By updating systems and policies to reflect current clinical practice and public health needs, OPTN Modernization aims to improve outcomes across the national transplant system.

Key developments this month

• OPTN Patient Safety and Compliance Task Order Awarded: HRSA awarded a new task order to support critical patient safety and compliance functions across the OPTN.
• HRSA Seeks Vendor for OPTN Policy and Committee Support: The Policy and Committee Support Performance Work Statement (PWS) has been shared with eligible vendors with a planned award for Summer 2026.
• Kidney Transplant Health-Related Quality of Life Patient Survey: CMS requests help from adult kidney transplant hospitals to gather patient responses to a brief, online survey about how kidney health impacts the quality of their daily lives.
• Compliance with International Transplant Policy: OPTN President John Magee and HRSA issued a letter reinforcing the policy.
• Public Comment Open on Lung Policy Updates Through July 3: Stakeholders can provide feedback on proposed updates to the Lung Composite Allocation Score (CAS) to improve placement efficiency and policy compliance.
• HHS Update on Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) Performance Data: OPO performance data will be available this summer.
• New Ventilated Patient Form Inbox: To better support organ procurement organizations using the ventilated patient form, HRSA has established an email box for all questions.
• Shorter Testing Windows To Protect Patients: The OPTN Board of Directors has voted to shorten the testing window for West Nile Virus (WNV) and HIV in living donors.

For patients, families, and the public

HRSA awards OPTN Patient Safety and Compliance Task Order

On May 29, 2026, HRSA awarded the OPTN Patient Safety and Compliance Task Order to General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), in partnership with Arbor Research. The one-year task order establishes dedicated contractor support for essential patient safety, compliance, and membership functions as part of ongoing OPTN modernization efforts.

HRSA seeks vendor for OPTN policy and committee support

HRSA has released the OPTN Policy and Committee Support Performance Work Statement (PWS) to eligible vendors. The contract will provide technical, logistical, and administrative support for OPTN committees, workgroups, subcommittees, expert panels, and other governance bodies throughout the policy development process, including post-implementation monitoring. HRSA anticipates awarding the contract in Summer 2026.

Until awarded, HRSA will continue to ensure when the OPTN Board requires a committee to work on a critical matter, committees will be able to convene. In addition, 11 committees have onboarded to the OPTN’s web-based collaboration platform, OPTN360, where committees are engaged in reviews, asynchronous work, and electronic voting.

Kidney transplant health-related quality of life patient survey

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requests help from adult kidney transplant hospitals to gather patient responses to a brief, online survey about how kidney health impacts the quality of their daily lives. CMS is seeking volunteers to test this survey and the results will help inform a future patient-reported outcome measure on health-related quality of life for use by CMS. To learn more about the survey and participate, please email KidneySurvey@rti.org.

Stronger oversight for increased transparency and accountability

Reinforcing compliance with international transplantation policy

OPTN President John Magee, in coordination with HRSA, issued a letter on June 8, 2026, to transplant program directors reinforcing existing policies governing transplantation for non-U.S. residents and non-U.S. citizens amid concerns about potential “transplant tourism.” The communication reiterates that organ allocation must remain based solely on clinical criteria, prohibits contractual arrangements with foreign entities, and emphasizes the importance of adhering to established OPTN policies to safeguard fairness and transparency.

Public comment open on lung continuous distribution policy updates through July 3

The OPTN is seeking public comment on proposed updates to the lung continuous distribution policy. The proposal focuses on improving placement efficiency and strengthening compliance with allocation policy following increases in out-of-OPTN-sequence lung allocations after implementation of continuous distribution in 2023. Public comment is open through July 3, 2026.

HHS update on Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) performance data

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration, shared an update on organ procurement organization (OPO) performance data, which will be released this summer.

Operational updates for OPTN members

Questions about the Ventilated Patient Form? Contact HRSA.

Last month, HRSA launched Release 2.0 of the Transplant Data Services Ventilated Patient Form (VPF) Application Programming Interface (API), which uses standard lookup codes to help information from the VPF flow directly, securely, and consistently into national systems. To better support OPOs using the VPF, HRSA has established an email box for all questions.

Shorter testing windows for West Nile Virus (WNV) and HIV

The OPTN Board of Directors voted to shorten testing windows for both West Nile Virus (WNV) and HIV in living donors. The WNV testing window is being shortened from 14 to 7 days, and the HIV testing window is being shortened from 28 days to 7 days. The shortened testing windows will be implemented in the coming weeks, and the OPTN will issue a notice when the changes take effect. Timely testing is critical to preventing disease transmission and improving patient safety.

These changes also reflect the progress made through modernization efforts, including the Transplant Risk Assessment Coordination & Evaluation team (TRACE), and the strengthened collaboration among HRSA, CDC, and the OPTN. Together, these efforts have significantly shortened the time between identifying emerging risks and developing and implementing solutions, enabling a more agile, data-driven approach to protecting transplant recipients and improving patient safety.

Engaging the transplant community

HRSA continues to engage with members of the procurement and transplant community and broader healthcare stakeholders to share modernization updates. Recent engagements include:

• Veterans Health Administration (VHA) National Surgery Office (NSO) Transplant Conference (June 2, 2026)
• American Transplant Congress (June 20, 2026)

Moving forward together

As OPTN Modernization continues, these efforts reflect a shared commitment to strengthening the nation’s organ donation and transplant system through greater transparency, accountability, and innovation. From advancing patient safety initiatives and modernizing data infrastructure to supporting strong governance and community engagement, each step builds toward a more responsive system. HRSA remains committed to working alongside patients, families, providers, and partners across the transplant community to ensure these changes deliver meaningful, lasting improvements, protecting patients and supporting better outcomes now and into the future.