A Historic Step to Modernize and Separate the OPTN Board of Directors
July 2024 Update
For four decades, the OPTN Board of Directors has been one-and-the-same as the corporate Board of Directors for the federal government’s contractor, raising issues about potential conflicts of interest. Now, as part of the OPTN Modernization Initiative, HRSA has separated the OPTN Board of Directors from the OPTN contractor so it may better serve the interests of patients and their families. This is a key step in HRSA’s commitment to strengthening OPTN governance and preventing conflicts of interest within the Network. Moving forward, no member of the OPTN Board can sit on an OPTN vendor’s board of directors.
HRSA supported the incorporation of a non-profit organization, independent from the OPTN contractor, to serve as the new OPTN Board of Directors through a HRSA-issued designation contract. HRSA worked with the OPTN officials to align existing OPTN bylaws, policies, and procedures to the new structure, which the OPTN Board members voted on and adopted.
Establishing a separate Board of Directors is an important piece of HRSA’s OPTN Modernization Initiative and implements a key component of the bipartisan Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act signed by President Biden in September 2023. HRSA will further support the new governance model through:
- An interim OPTN Executive Director to support transition activities
- A new Board Support contract award this Fall for governance experts to support the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities
- Multiple new Transition Operations contract awards this Fall to support a modernized OPTN
- A special election of new Board members
Previous updates
- June 2024: HRSA's Progress on Transforming the Organ Transplant System to Better Serve Patients and Families
- May 2024: HRSA's Latest Steps to Transform the Organ Transplant System to Better Serve Patients and Families
- February 2024: HRSA Takes Historic New Steps to Transform the Organ Transplant System to Better Serve Patients and Families
- December 2023: HRSA's approach to securing best-in-class expertise and an independent Board of Directors
- October 2023: OPTN Transition Contract Updates, Enhanced HRSA and CMS Collaboration, and HRSA Stakeholder Engagement
- September 2023: Enhanced HRSA and CMS Collaboration, HRSA Stakeholder Engagement, and Industry Day
- July 2023: Statement from HRSA Administrator on Passage of the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act
- May 2023: The Path Forward
- March 2023: HRSA Announces Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Modernization Initiative
Frequently asked questions
The modernization initiative will encompass all functions of the OPTN, inclusive of IT and non-IT related activities. As part of the initial phase of the OPTN Modernization Initiative, HRSA is announcing the following actions:
- Build Capacity for Modernization – HRSA is building its capacity to support a modernized OPTN and will be engaging a Program Management Support contractor to assist in the modernization in addition to more than doubling resources available to support the initiative in its FY 2024 President’s Budget request.
- Make Data Available for Critical Decision Making – To assist patients, clinicians, and researchers, HRSA is publishing organ donation and transplantation data to improve data transparency and decision-making. View the OPTN Data Dashboard.
- Engage Stakeholders – HRSA will engage a diverse group of stakeholders early and often to identify and prioritize pressing areas of need for patients and clinicians.
- Improve OPTN functionality – In the next Request for Proposal (RFP), move towards separating OPTN support functions, which may include Board governance, OPTN operations, and IT systems. This approach will diversify the field of potential contractors, encouraging improved functionality through greater competition and innovation.
HRSA endeavors to keep stakeholders and the public apprised of updates in a transparent fashion. HRSA will publish the latest updates on OPTN Modernization Initiative progress on this page.
In addition, to assist patients, clinicians, and researchers, HRSA is publishing organ donation and transplantation data to improve data transparency and decision-making. View the OPTN Data Dashboard.
For all media inquiries, please contact press@hrsa.gov.
Resources
Spanish
- Lea este en español: Actualización de agosto: Mayor colaboración entre la HRSA y los CMS, participación de las partes interesadas de la HRSA y Día de la industria
- Comunicado de prensa en español del 22 de marzo de 2023
- Marzo de 2023: La HRSA anuncia la iniciativa de modernización de la Red de Procuración y Trasplante de Órganos
- Mayo de 2023: El camino a seguir
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