Center for Organ Recovery and Education

The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (core) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting donation, Education and research for the purpose of saving and enhancing lives through Organ, tissue and cornea transplantation. Core operates under the umbrella of eight values: integrity, compassion, quality, responsiveness, Education, innovation, respect and life.core had many noteworthy accomplishments in 2023, including the following:fifth consecutive record-breaking year2023 was a fifth consecutive year of saving and healing lives across western Pennsylvania and west Virginia. Through the altruism of 404 Organ donors, core facilitated the transplantation of 928 organs and 1,003 corneas, offering renewed hope and life to recipients in need. Additionally, the generosity of 1,481 tissue donors brought healing to over 100,000 lives, underscoring the far-reaching effects of Organ and tissue donation. These remarkable contributions highlight the power of generosity and compassion in saving and transforming lives within our communities.ebaa re-accredidationwith a remarkable 99% site inspection performance score, the core eye bank was granted three-year re-accreditation by the accreditation board of the eye bank association of america (ebaa) in 2023. This recognition encompasses vital functions such as Recovery, processing, tissue storage, final distribution, tissue evaluation, and donor eligibility determination. Dedicated to restoring sight and enhancing the quality of life, core's corneal transplants have restored vision for nearly 20,000 individuals, boasting an impressive success rate exceeding 95%. Farther than ever beforein 2023, a significant shift in Organ allocation practices revolutionized the landscape of transplantation, prioritizing the most critical patients regardless of their location. This shift, termed continuous distribution, has led to organs traveling longer distances to reach those in urgent need, thereby enhancing efficiency and broadening access to life-saving treatments. Previously, the majority of core's organs were transplanted within a limited radius of 125 miles. However, with the implementation of continuous distribution, approximately 75% of organs now journey considerable distances, often necessitating the use of private aircraft. This expansion enabled organs recovered by core to reach 30 states beyond their typical distribution area in 2023 alone. While this transformation incurred a doubling of transportation expenses for core, the benefits to patients awaiting transplantation justify this increase.