The United States federal government is ending its contract with Network for Hope, a nonprofit organ donation group based in Kentucky.
The federal government accused the nonprofit of pressuring medical workers to remove organs from patients who were showing signs of recovery.
A bad apple
Persistent safety failures
Network for Hope is one of approximately 55 organ procurement organizations in the United States. The organization stated that it complies with all US federal organ policies and expressed that it strongly disagrees with the decision made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., noting that it will appeal.
Allegations and regulatory context
In 2021, the predecessor organization of Network for Hope allegedly pressured a local hospital to withdraw life support and retrieve organs from a person despite signs that they were waking up from a drug overdose.
Kentucky recently passed a law mandating a pause in donation planning if there is any concern that a patient is not appropriate for donation.
Transplant statistics in the United States
Number of individuals on the US transplant list
The vast majority of those on the transplant list are seeking a kidney. In the United States, there were more than 49,000 transplants performed last year.
