Why this matters: Clear, accessible information helps patients and families better understand their options, engage more confidently with transplant programs, and navigate the national transplant system with greater clarity.
May 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 longstanding 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
- Transplant Risk Assessment Coordination and Evaluation Team (TRACE): HRSA team focuses on identifying, investigating, and responding to potential disease transmission events linked to organ donation
- New Transplant Data Services Webpage: HRSA introduced a new webpage describing this key component of the OPTN infrastructure modernization effort
- Changes to the Lung Composite Allocation Score in Effect: The Lung Composite Allocation Score (CAS) used to prioritize potential transplant recipients in lung allocation was updated by OPTN to reduce median travel distance
- OPTN National Town Hall Meetings: Town Halls held on April 28 and May 13 provided updates on modernization efforts and opportunities for public engagement
- 2026 OPTN Board Officer Election: Voting was open for OPTN members with voting privileges from May 15–22
- Updated OPTN Membership Forms: Updated forms were made available in the Member Community Portal and online on April 24, 2026
- Ventilated Patient Form: Newly approved OMB form is now available
For patients, families, and the public
Updated patient FAQ: multiple listing and waiting time transfer
The OPTN refreshed the branding on its patient-facing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (PDF - 387 KB) resource covering multiple listing and waiting time transfer. While the brochure template has been refreshed, the FAQ content remains unchanged at this time. It continues to explain how candidates are evaluated and matched for organs, outlines when multiple listing may be an option, and describes the safeguards in place to ensure waiting time is applied consistently and fairly.
Stronger oversight for increased transparency and accountability
HRSA launches TRACE: a focused initiative for disease surveillance in transplantation
HRSA introduced the Transplant Risk Assessment Coordination & Evaluation team (TRACE) marking a significant step forward in national transplant safety. TRACE serves as the investigative backbone of disease surveillance efforts, partnering closely with OPTN's Disease Transmission Advisory Committee (DTAC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to respond to potential transmission events reported by transplant centers and organ procurement organizations (OPOs).
When a concern is reported, TRACE receives, triages, and reviews every report, conducts thorough investigations in coordination with partners like the CDC, delivers timely clinical findings to providers, and monitors trends to strengthen national preparedness. Its work gives DTAC the consistent, evidence-based foundation needed to set policy, develop national standards, and educate the field.
Why this matters: As organ transplantation practice safely increases use of organs from donors with risk of disease, the need for a dedicated, full-time investigative team became increasingly clear. TRACE fills that gap, ensuring that every potential transmission event receives focused attention and that the organ procurement and transplant community has the information it needs to act quickly, protect recipients, and support public health.
Streamlining data with transplant data services
HRSA launched a new webpage highlighting Transplant Data Services, a key component of the OPTN modernization effort focused on improving how transplant data is collected, managed, and shared across the national transplant system. The page provides an overview of the initiative and its role in strengthening the infrastructure that supports organ donation and transplantation nationwide.
Why this matters: Modernized transplant data systems will help improve transparency, support better decision-making, and strengthen the performance and accountability of the nation’s organ procurement and transplantation network.
New OMB-approved Ventilated Patient Form now available
New, OMB-approved instructions for the Ventilated Patient Form (VPF) are now available, incorporating a formal data dictionary for two VPF fields, and adding minor clarifications to the VPF instructions to improve clarity on cascade logic and clarity reporting expectations.
In addition, HRSA launched Release 2.0 of the Transplant Data Services VPF Application Programming Interface (API), which uses standard lookup codes to help information from the VPF flow directly, securely, and consistently into national systems. Over time, VPF reporting will provide a more comprehensive understanding of how hospitals and OPOs identify patients who may become organ donors, as well as how OPO processes and clinical practices influence the number of deceased donor organs available for transplantation.
Why this matters: Standardized reporting is the foundation of better insight. As VPF data grows, it will provide the organ procurement and transplantation community with clearer insight into patient referral and evaluation practices, and how OPO processes and clinical practices relate to the number of organs available for transplantation.
Registration fee collection update
The federal funding bill (HR7148) extends HRSA’s authority to collect OPTN patient registration fees, originally granted in the 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act. This authority enables registration fees to fund multiple OPTN operations contracts while strengthening fiscal transparency and oversight. HRSA continues to implement a secure federal billing process aligned with federal financial standards.
Current status: HRSA has received approximately 94% of registration fees due for the September 2025 – February 2026 billing period.
What OPTN members need to know:
- As required by statute, HRSA anticipates publishing quarterly public reports in Fall 2026 on the OPTN website identifying the registration fee amounts paid by transplant centers.
- Beginning May 1, 2026, HRSA no longer accepts check payments for registration fee invoices due to Executive Order 14247 (PDF - 245 KB). Checks dated after May 1 will be returned to sender. HRSA will continue to offer ACH debit, credit card, ACH credit, and wire transfer options for payment.
- Contact OPTNFeeSupport@hrsa.gov with questions about invoices, payment status, or how to set up electronic payments to HRSA.
HRSA will continue proactive outreach to transplant centers to support timely fee submissions and confirm payment status before public reporting begins.
Operational updates for OPTN members
OPTN implements emergency updates to Lung Continuous Distribution policy
Following emergency action by the OPTN Board of Directors, changes to the Lung Composite Allocation Score (CAS) are now in effect and score weights have been adjusted to improve placement efficiency and reduce median travel distance for donor lungs. All lung and heart-lung candidates’ CAS scores have been updated accordingly, while approved exceptions remain in effect with proportionate adjustments. Members should familiarize themselves with the implemented changes and associated educational material. Additional resources, including A Guide to Calculating the Lung Composite Allocation Score, are available on the Lung CAS Calculator webpage.
The broader Update to Lung Continuous Distribution policy is currently open for public comment through July 3, 2026.
What OPTN members need to know: The changes support policy compliance and help reduce logistical complexity for transplant programs and maintain a consistent approach to lung allocation across the OPTN.
OPTN Board officer election
The OPTN Board approved and announced the slate of nominees for the 2026 Board Officer election, including Secretary and Vice President of Patient and Donor Affairs. Voting representatives and eligible individual members were invited to cast ballots between May 15 and May 22. Those elected as Secretary and Vice President of Patient and Donor Affairs will begin their terms on July 1, 2026.
What OPTN members need to know: Strong, transparent governance is essential to maintaining trust and accountability across the transplant system. Board leadership elections and ongoing committee work help ensure the OPTN remains focused on effective oversight, sound policy development, and transplant system performance and outcomes.
Key personnel submission deadline extended to June 15
Following an April 24 announcement clarifying that the Director of Liver Transplant Anesthesia and two qualified surgeons for Living Donor Components are considered key personnel, HRSA has extended the submission deadline to June 15, 2026, giving programs additional time to complete their submissions in the Member Community Portal.
Two important clarifications accompany this extension: the Director of Liver Transplant Anesthesia designation applies to both adult and pediatric Liver Programs, and submitters for this role should complete the cover page, Part 1, and Part 7 of the liver transplant programs application, along with an updated program coverage plan.
What OPTN members need to know:
- Programs that have not yet submitted or received Membership and Professional Standards Committee approval for the following roles should do so through the OPTN Member Community Portal by June 15, 2026:
- Director of Liver Transplant Anesthesia (adult and pediatric liver transplant programs)
- Primary Liver Surgeon and second Primary Liver Surgeon for the Living Donor Component (if applicable)
- If a role is currently vacant, notify HRSA by emailing OPTNMemberCompliance@hrsa.gov.
Engaging the transplant community
OPTN hosted two virtual National Town Halls on April 28 and May 13, offering members of the transplant community and the public an opportunity to hear updates on the current state of the OPTN and ongoing modernization efforts. Across both sessions, more than 1,500 individuals participated. Participants were able to submit questions in advance and engage directly with OPTN and HRSA leadership through moderated discussion. These National Town Hall meetings will replace this year’s spring and summer regional meetings and provide a more accessible nationwide forum for information sharing and discussion. Both sessions featured the same content, allowing participants to attend the date and time most convenient for their schedules. A recording of the National Town Hall is available online.
HRSA continues to engage with members of the procurement and transplant community and broader healthcare stakeholders to share modernization updates. Recent engagements include:
- New York State Transplant Council Meeting (April 30, 2026)
- Axios’ Future of Health Summit (May 13, 2026)
Moving forward together
As OPTN Modernization efforts continue, the work underway in May reflects a sustained commitment to strengthening patient protections through enhanced oversight, clearer accountability, and more transparent decision-making. Updates to policies such as the Lung CAS, alongside refreshed patient resources and ongoing governance initiatives, demonstrate how targeted improvements can enhance system performance while preserving fairness, consistency, and fair access to organ donation and transplantation.
This progress is driven by continued engagement with professionals, patients, registered organ donors, donor families, and the broader public. Open forums such as National Town Halls, paired with timely and transparent policy communications, help ensure that modernization efforts are informed by real-world experience and shared understanding. Through ongoing collaboration and an unwavering focus on patient safety, the OPTN remains committed to building an organ donation and transplant system that strengthens public trust and delivers life-saving impact to patients across the country every day.
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