LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A nonprofit organ donation provider for several states, including Kentucky, is losing its certification.
During a visit to the University of Kentucky Wednesday, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the decertification of Network for Hope.
"We will not tolerate organizations that compromise patient safety or betray the trust of donors or their families," Kennedy said. "I'm announcing that HHS has begun the decertification of Network for Hope, the organ procurement organization serving Kentucky and parts of Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia."
The announcement comes after Kennedy said reviews found persistent patient safety failures, despite repeated oversight and warnings.
"Federal reviewers found serious deficiencies in nearly 30% of the cases they examined. We found patients placed on the organ donation pathway who should have never been there," he said. "We found cases with the donation process continued despite signs that patients were not appropriate organ donors. We found repeated failures in clinical judgement oversight and patient safety, and we found that these problems continued even after the organization promised to correct them."
In addition to these findings by the HHS' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Kennedy said between 2021 and 2024, the HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration examined 351 cases "where organ donation was authorized, but ultimately not completed at Network for Hope."
Kennedy said the HRSA found that 103 cases, or 29.3%, showed "concerning features, including 73 patients with neurological signs incompatible with organ donation." It also found that "some potential donors may not have been deceased at the time organ procurement was initiated — raising serious questions." HRSA also found evidence pointing to "poor neurological assessments, lack of coordination with medical teams, questionable consent practices, and misclassification of causes of death, particularly in overdose cases."
"HRSA, through its oversight of the OPTN, worked closely with Network of Hope over the past year through intensive monitoring and corrective action to address serious patient safety concerns," said HRSA Administrator Tom Engels in a news release. "Despite those efforts, the organization did not demonstrate the improvements necessary to meet federal standards. When organizations entrusted with the care of potential organ donors fail to meet those standards, we have a responsibility to act. Our priority is protecting patients, honoring the generosity of donor families, and ensuring every donated organ has the greatest possible opportunity to save a life."
This comes weeks after a new Kentucky law took effect, adding safeguards to the organ donation process to better protect patients.
House Bill 510, known as the Organ Donation Pause in Procedure Act, mandates an immediate pause in organ donation if there is a change in neurological status or any indication of possible life.
The legislation came after a federal investigation prompted by TJ Hoover, a Kentucky man who woke up before organ removal surgery in 2021. Medical records said Hoover had been declared brain dead in 2021 and was being prepared for organ donation when he regained consciousness — a stunning turn that raised serious questions about the organ donation process.
Network for Hope said the law strengthens the organ donation and transplant system throughout the commonwealth while reinforcing public trust in the donation process.
In a statement, the organization said it "strongly disagrees" with Kennedy's decision and plans to appeal.
"NFH is compliant with all OPTN policies and has implemented a first-of-its-kind 'pause in procedure' process. This pause process is now Kentucky law and NFH proudly worked hand-in-hand with legislators and regulators by providing input in the drafting both of the new law and its implementing regulations," the statement continued.
"Despite this, and despite NFH’s demonstrated dedication to improving organ and tissue donation outcomes across its service area, Secretary Kennedy has acted to decertify our OPO that serves seven million people across four states. Under HRSA’s oversight, organ donation went down for the first time in 14 years. As a result, more than 3,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant will be negatively impacted by the decision announced today."
To read more about the new law, click here.
This story may be updated.
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