Learn how a newly formed team within HRSA helps ensure a safe transplant system.
What is TRACE?
The Transplant Risk Assessment Coordination & Evaluation (TRACE) team is designed to strengthen the safety of organ transplantation in the United States.
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).
Why was TRACE created?
Organ transplantation saves thousands of lives each year, but like any medical procedure, it carries risks. One rare but serious risk is the potential for a disease to be transmitted from a donor to a recipient.
The transplant community already has strong safeguards in place, led by DTAC. DTAC develops guidance, policies, and educational resources to help prevent these events.
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.
What does TRACE do?
TRACE is a dedicated team within HRSA that:
- Receives reports of possible disease transmission from transplant centers and OPOs
- Investigates each case thoroughly, gathering clinical information and coordinating with partners like the CDC when needed
- Provides timely clinical insight and support to the transplant community
- Prepares detailed case summaries with preliminary findings
- Tracks trends and emerging risks to improve national disease surveillance
By centralizing this work, TRACE helps ensure that every reported case gets careful, consistent attention.
How does TRACE work with DTAC?
TRACE and DTAC work hand-in-hand, with clearly defined roles:
- TRACE conducts investigations and provides initial findings
- DTAC reviews those findings, makes final determinations, and uses the information to develop guidance and policy
This partnership allows DTAC to focus on what it does best—setting national standards and educating the transplant community—while relying on TRACE for a stronger, faster evidence base.
Why does this matter?
TRACE improves the transplant system in several important ways:
- Faster response to potential threats
- More complete and consistent investigations
- Better data to guide policies and clinical practice
- Stronger protection for transplant recipients
Ultimately, TRACE helps ensure that the U.S. transplant system remains safe, responsive, and prepared for emerging public health risks.