Lawmakers probe Kentucky nonprofit after man woke up during organ donation preparations

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two members of Congress have launched an investigation into Network for Hope after a Kentucky man woke up as he was being prepped for organ donation.

TJ Hoover's case continues to make national headlines. Medical records say Hoover had been declared brain dead in 2021 and was being prepared for organ donation when he regained consciousness — a stunning turn that has sparked a federal investigation and raised serious questions about the organ donation process.

Documents obtained by WDRB Investigates show the Health Resources and Services Administration identified issues with medical assessments, family communication and the recognition of neurological activity during Hoover's case. The agency concluded there was a "potentially serious and ongoing risk to patients and families."

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman David Schweikert recently sent a letter to Network for Hope. In it, they demand documents and records of allegations of improper Medicare billing, financial conflicts of interest and unsafe practices.

Barry Massa, CEO of the Network for Hope, acknowledged the damage it has caused to public trust in a previous interview with WDRB News.

Massa said changes have been made to the process of donation after cardiac death, known as DCD, including improved communication among medical teams and "hard stops" at key steps in the process.

Still, Massa has said public concern remains high. Since Hoover's story gained national attention last year, Network for Hope reported about 1,000 people removed themselves from the organ donor registry by October 2024. Massa said that number has again declined in recent months as the case re-entered the news cycle.

Network for Hope has not yet commented on the letter from Smith and Schweikert, or their investigation.

For more information on Network for Hope, click here.

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