As part of National Donor Day, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced a new initiative at several driver’s license centers across Pennsylvania educating Pennsylvanians on organ and tissue donation.
Video monitors are installed or being installed at 20 driver’s license centers featuring a video with the facts and benefits of organ and tissue donation. The video was produced by Donate Life-Pennsylvania, a partnership of the state’s two organ-procurement organizations, the Department of Health and PennDOT, to educate Pennsylvanians about organ and tissue donation.
“More than four million Pennsylvanians are already signed up for organ and tissue donation, but that is only forty-five percent of all driver’s license and ID card holders,” PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said. “If we can increase the number of registered donors, we can increase the odds of someone receiving a life-saving transplant.”
The video also addresses common myths and misconceptions about organ and tissue donation that often prevent people from registering as donors.
Pennsylvanians can register to become an organ and tissue donor by saying “yes” when renewing their driver’s license or state identification card at any PennDOT driver’s license and photo center, or by visiting www.donatelife-pa.org. There is no fee to place the organ donor designation on your driver’s license or photo ID.
More than 8,300 of the 116,000 Americans awaiting life-saving organ transplants reside in Pennsylvania. However, the number of donors is not keeping pace with the ever-growing list of people who need organ and tissue transplants.
For more information on organ donation, visit www.donatelife-pa.org.
The following are the locations in Philadelphia where the educational video can be viewed on a continuous loop:
• Center City: 801 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
• Columbus Blvd.: 1530 S. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19147
• Lawndale: Oxford Levick Shopping Center, 919-B Levick Street, Philadelphia, PA 19111
• West Oak Lane: 7121 Ogontz Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19138 (West Oak Lane)
