In November, at the Sixth National Learning Congress the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will honor Iowa Methodist Medical Center  and Blank Children's Hospital with a Bronze Medal of Honor. This award was given to hospitals who met 75 percent conversion rate and OTPD (organs transplanted per donor).

Iowa Methodist and Blank Children's have received a medal every year that one has been awarded, starting back in 2004. In 2007, Iowa Methodist and Blank received a crystal bowl for receiving the Medal of Honor for the first three years, one of only 97 hospitals to do so. And in 2008 at the 5th National Learning Congress, the hospital received the Gold Medal - one of only 30 hospitals in the country and the only hospital in the state to receive the Gold that year.

"We are very proud to receive this recognition for supporting organ donation," said Eric Crowell, President and CEO, Iowa Health - Des Moines. "These improvements in organ donation help to save lives all across our country and we are glad that we can be a part of it."

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials presented awards to 404 hospitals, 38 organ procurement organizations (OPOs), and 174 transplant programs for their success in increasing the number of organs available and transplanted.

Hospitals received the department's Medal of Honor for Organ Donation for achieving and sustaining national goals for donation, including a donation rate of 75 percent or more of eligible donors at their facilities.  OPOs were recognized for their efforts based on similar criteria.  Awards were presented for the work done during the time period of April 1, 2010, through March 31, 2012.

Transplant programs were recognized based on their performance on post-transplant survival rates, transplant rates, and mortality rates after patients are placed on waiting lists.

For more information on this award visit http://www.hhs.gov/news/.