HHS Moves to Decertify Organ Procurement Group

HHS has started the process to decertify Network for Hope, the organ procurement organization that serves Kentucky and parts of Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia, according to Becker's Hospital Review. The agency said the action follows independent reviews by both CMS and the Health Resources and Services Administration that identified ongoing patient safety failures.

Organ procurement organizations coordinate the recovery of organs from deceased donors and match them to patients waiting for transplants. There are 55 OPOs across the country, each holding a federal monopoly over a defined geographic area, which makes decertification a rare and consequential step. When an OPO loses its certification, another organization must take over its territory to keep donation and transplant activity running.

The move fits a broader federal push to hold OPOs accountable after years of criticism over inconsistent performance and safety lapses. For hospitals and transplant centers in the affected states, the decision raises immediate questions about who will manage donor coordination and how continuity will be preserved during any transition.