Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson has invited leaders of transplant organizations to Washington for the public unveiling Tuesday April 17th of a set of initiatives designed to increase organ donation.

Thompson plans to publicly announce his package of initiatives at a news conference at the Department of Health and Human Services, which will be followed by a noon address at the National Press Club that will be carried by C-Span.

The announcement of the new federal organ donation initiative comes midway through National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week, which runs through April 21st.

Among other proposals, Thompson is expected to outline his plan to create a new national organ donor card (see Transplant Week, April 8th) that would be designed to carry more weight with next-of-kin than donor cards or indications of intent on driver's licenses now used by a number of states.

Other Sources: DHHS