US EditionUS begins organ-transplant reform as 'signs of life' found before some retrievals
KENTUCKY, SOUTHWEST OHIO, AND PARTS OF WEST VIRGINIA, JUL 21 – An HHS investigation found 29% of 351 cases had serious safety violations including 28 patients not confirmed dead before organ procurement, prompting mandated reforms and oversight.
- On Monday, July 21, 2025, in Washington, DC, HHS unveiled a reform initiative after a federal investigation revealed disturbing practices in the organ transplant system, including unsafe procurement attempts.
- HRSA's investigation reviewed 351 cases, finding 103 with neurological signs incompatible with donation, raising ethical and safety concerns.
- Several families told The New York Times surgeons attempted organ removal while donors were still alive, with at least 28 patients potentially alive when procurement began.
- The agency ordered organ procurement organizations to implement system-level changes, including staff halting donations if safety concerns arise, with decertification threatened by Secretary Kennedy.
- A House subcommittee will hold a Tuesday hearing to assess reforms, as OPTN updates policies under HRSA's directive to improve safety and transparency.
205 Articles
205 Articles
A new reality of organ donation
When a nightmare situation turns into the subject of a Health and Human Services Department investigation, people pay attention. Such is the case with misconduct in the nation’s organ transplant system. Under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Health Resources and Services Administration directed the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to investigate a Kentucky-based organ procurement organization and found …
Organ donation system faces scrutiny after near-misses
WASHINGTON — The U.S. is developing new safeguards for the organ transplant system after a government investigation found a Kentucky group continued preparations for organ donation by some patients who showed signs of life, officials told Congress this week.
Kentucky organ transplant investigation has ripple effect on local organ procurement organizations
The federal investigation into a Kentucky organ procurement organization found what it calls "concerning patterns of risk." ABC7 spoke with OneLegacy, an organ sourcing organization in Azusa, about its robust process for organ donations in California.
Patients are being taken for organ retrieval while still alive
From LifeSiteNews By Heidi Klessig, M.D. RFK Jr.’s HHS has launched a ‘major initiative’ to reform the organ transplant system after an investigation found multiple patients who were not dead were taken for organ procurement. On July 21, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced a major push to begin reforming the U.S. organ procurement and transplantation system. This announcement was pr…
catholicworldreport.com
Catholic TelegraphHHS investigation exposes ‘horrifying’ ethical failures in organ transplant system
Consultant Surgeon Andrew Ready and his team conduct a live donor kidney transplant at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham on June 9, 2006, in Birmingham, England. / Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images CNA Staff, Jul 23, 2025 / 18:17 p... [...]
Investigation exposes ‘horrifying’ ethical failures in organ transplant system
Consultant Surgeon Andrew Ready and his team conduct a live donor kidney transplant at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham on June 9, 2006, in Birmingham, England. / Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images CNA Staff, Jul 23, 2025 / 18:17 pm (CNA). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a sweeping reform initiative of the nation’s organ transplant system after a four-year investigation by the Health Resources an…
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