60K Transplants by 2025

Last week, our Founder and CEO, Laura Epstein, had the honor of attending the Organ Donation & Transplantation Alliance (The Alliance) Meeting, where leaders came together to discuss an ambitious but lifesaving goal: achieving 60,000 deceased donor transplants by 2026. This target, set by the OPTN Expeditious Taskforce, is bold but absolutely achievable—if critical modernization efforts are implemented.

Here’s why:

🛠️ Technological Advancements
Advances in organ procurement and storage are improving transplantation outcomes. Techniques like hypothermic and normothermic perfusion extend organ viability, while optimized procurement processes reduce delays. Enhanced storage solutions and real-time tracking systems ensure better preservation and compatibility, minimizing organ wastage and improving transplant success rates.

✈️ Better Transportation Logistics
Logistics play a critical role in whether a transplant succeeds or not.  Streamlining and automating transport will be essential to meeting the 2026 goal.

In the organ transplant marketplace, demand far exceeds supply:  Over 100,000 people are currently on waiting lists and only 45,000 transplants are performed each year. At Pulse Charter Connect, we see a tremendous opportunity to make meaningful improvements in how organs move to patients in need–quickly and safely. By streamlining scheduling and coordination across the system, we can help ensure more organs reach their intended recipients in time—bringing us closer to the goal of 60,000 transplants performed each year.

🤝 Unified Collaboration
The success of organ transplant logistics depends on the collaborative work of multiple stakeholders: hospitals, organ procurement organizations, transplant centers and policymakers. The adoption of standardized protocols and processes across the ecosystem can eliminate bottlenecks and improve efficiency.

📢 Raising Public Awareness
As efficiency and coordination in the medical framework improves, individuals themselves can make an outsize impact by simply signing up as donors. Continuing educational campaigns and advocacy efforts  can grow and engage the donor pool.

A powerful example of the awareness raised about the importance of being a registered donor is the legacy of Phil Lesh, legendary bassist for the Grateful Dead. Beyond his remarkable musical achievements, Lesh became a passionate advocate for organ donation after undergoing a liver transplant in 1998.

A Bold but Achievable Vision

The goal of achieving 60,000 donor transplants by 2026 represents a 50% increase from 2024—a bold yet attainable milestone. This growth hinges on advancements in deceased transplant technologies and procurement, which are transforming the process.

Breakthroughs like ex-vivo perfusion systems help preserve organs, increase viability and reduce waste. Smarter, AI-driven allocation systems ensure faster, more accurate matching. Improved transportation logistics, such as real-time tracking and predictive analytics, minimize delays.