Marking its five year anniversary, Gift of Life Institute’s Online University has reached a significant milestone, surpassing 10,000 module registrations.
Philadelphia, PA —– Marking its five year anniversary, Gift of Life Institute’s Online University has reached a significant milestone, surpassing 10,000 module registrations.
More than 1,200 unique learners have taken advantage of the Institute’s online offerings, which feature more than 40 comprehensive courses with 125 distinct modules. Course topics cover a variety of subjects, including Conducting the Donor Risk Assessment Interview, The History of Donation & Transplantation, and Your Role in the Organ and Tissue Donation Process, among others.
“As the largest OPO (organ procurement organization) in this country, we are deeply committed to sharing best practices for improving donation outcomes,” said Gift of Life Donor Program President & CEO Howard M. Nathan. “The Gift of Life Institute’s mission is to develop innovative training and educational programs that support the advancement of knowledge and expertise of today’s and tomorrow’s donation professionals.”
Components of courses have successfully been adopted and integrated into mainstream operations by other OPOs and hospitals. Mid-America Transplant OPO in St. Louis, MO adopted the Gift of Life Institute program entitled, Your Role in the Referral Process. The OPO has partnered with hospitals across its region to launch and implement the program, which has been operating successfully for over three years.
“The Institute introduced its eLearning program as a way to leverage technology to bring the highest quality training and education to more industry professionals,” said Gift of Life Institute Director Theresa A. Daly. “Response to the program has exceeded our expectations. Participants include organ and tissue donation professionals and medical students from OPOs and hospitals across the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Iran, and South Korea.”
Established in 2004, Gift of Life Institute is an international training center for donation professionals, offering comprehensive, interdisciplinary resources for skills-based learning continuing education, collaborative research and consulting services. The Institute is the international leader in organ and tissue donation education, training close to 9,000 professionals from 37 countries since its inception. Through its affiliation with Gift of Life Donor Program in Philadelphia, PA, the largest OPO in the nation, the Institute has the unique opportunity to provide learners with real-world and real-time instruction.
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About Gift of Life Donor Program
Gift of Life Donor Program is the non-profit, federally-designated organ procurement organization, serving 11.2 million people across Delaware, southern New Jersey and the eastern half of Pennsylvania. Its annual donation rate ranks among the highest in the world. Since 1974, Gift of Life has coordinated more than 46,000 life-saving organs for transplant, and approximately one million tissue transplants have resulted from the generosity of donors and their families. One organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people, and a tissue donor can enhance the lives of up to 75 others. For more information or to register, visit donors1.org.