NJ Sharing Network Major Milestones

• 1987 The Sharing Network is established
• 1987 State and federal governments pass Required Request/Assured Option legislation requiring hospitals
  to offer the option of organ and tissue donation to
  families of potential donors
• 1992 The Sharing Network institutes the Donor
  Family Support Program
• 1992 The New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles mandates that information about organ donation be included in the driver's manual and on the backs of driver's licenses and that questions be included on the written exam
• 1992 The Sharing Network participates in a model program with The Partnership on Organ Donation to increase donation rates
• 1992 The Sharing Network's clinical director, Bill Reitsma, is awarded the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations' Excellence in Management Award, the highest honor given by this national organization
• 1993 The New Jersey Knights of Columbus adopt a statewide resolution that encourages all councils to promote organ and tissue donation
• 1994 The Sharing Network spearheads the passage of a new state law requiring timely autopsies
• 1994 The Sharing Network receives the Frank Maier Award for an outstanding public education campaign from the North American Transplant Coordinator's Organization
• 1994 The New Jersey Bar Association passes a resolution recommending that members counsel their clients about organ donation
• 1995 The Donor Enhancement Act is enacted to increase the number of potential donors and to facilitate the donor process in New Jersey
• 1996 The Sharing Network is one of the first organ procurement organizations in the United States to receive full accreditation from the Association of Organ Procurement Organization
• 1997 The Sharing Network video, which pays tribute to donors and their families, was awarded Best Video-second place by the Fourth International Samuel L. Kountz Symposium on Renal Disease and Transplantation
• 1997 The Sharing Network hosts the first NJ Transplant Summit featuring leading experts in the field of donation and transplantation plus testimony from transplant recipients and donor families
• 1998 The Sharing Network establishes a statewide organ and tissue Donor Registry
• 1999 LifeLab of NJ, a private paternity evaluation service is opened. LifeLab uses the same type of sophisticated testing performed in order to match organ donors and recipients
• 2000 The NJ Organ & Tissue Donor Registry reaches 10,000 registered members
• 2001 The Sharing Network creates New Jersey’s “Donate Life” specialty license plate featuring the National Gift of Life Rose and the green ribbon
• 2003 Digital driver’s license indicates “organ donor” preference directly on license
• 2004 NJ Sharing Network was first OPO to gather and honor the country’s black transplant surgeons
• 2004 NJ Sharing Network announced new name and logo
• 2005 Paired Kidney Exchange Program Launched (NJ PEP)
• 2007 NJ Sharing Network celebrates 20 years of saving lives