A former employee of a nonprofit organ recovery organization claims he was fired after he complained to a member of Congress about being asked to remove organs from still-living people.
Nicoletta Martin, 38, made the disclosure on Tuesday. wall street journalexplained how she was fired from her new employer, Paragonix Technologies, on September 13th after writing a damning letter about her previous employer, Kentucky Organ Donor, from which she left her job in 2021.
Days earlier, a letter she had written to the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee was read and discussed on the House floor, arguing that organ harvesters are currently under tremendous pressure. Ta.
She named the organ procurement group she worked for in Kentucky and recalled being pressured to retrieve organs before patients died, while they were awake. He later left the facility alive, but he chose not to give his name, Martin said.
Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) is one of 56 federally chartered nonprofit organizations tasked with procuring organs for transplantation. A spokesperson said the company is in “strict compliance” with the law and national guidelines set by the U.S. government.
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Nicoletta Martin, 38, a procurement staff member, said she was asked to remove organs from people who were still alive on Tuesday and was later fired after she refused and expressed dissatisfaction.
She was released by organ collection group Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates on September 13, two days after the allegations surfaced. The company's Louisville headquarters are located here
“From my experience at KODA it is clear to me that [organ procurement organization] They are not acting in the best interests of their patients,” Martin, a mother of five, said in a letter to the committee.
'[The group] “They regularly engage in unethical activities for the sole purpose of retaining lucrative contracts with the government,” she added.
The letter went on to claim that if the surgeon refused the authorities' orders, Martin and other staff members were ordered to find another surgeon willing to perform the surgery.
They similarly refused and allowed the patient to go home alive after he recovered, she said.
Other statements sent by alleged witnesses who witnessed similar acts were also read, and the readings did not reveal the patient's condition and illness.
All claimed that various state procurement bodies, such as KODA, began pressuring workers and surgeons to remove organs from patients who were still alive.
Robert Cannon, a liver transplant surgeon at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, testified to the committee about how he was allegedly instructed to harvest organs from spontaneously breathing patients, calling it “murder.”
Greg Segal, president of an advocacy group seeking to reform the organ procurement process, alleged that another organ procurement organization (OPO) was administering fentanyl to potential donors to hasten their deaths.
A few days ago, a letter she wrote to the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which was read and discussed on the House floor, is currently underwriting excessive charges against organ collectors. He claimed he was under pressure.
There, the people in charge took turns criticizing UNOS (Unified Network for Organ Sharing), the organization that manages OPTN, of which KODA is a member.
As with Martin, a mother of five, he provided no evidence to support those claims.
She said the incident in question occurred at a Kentucky hospital in 2021, and the man Koda wanted to collect his organs from “crying and crying” after refusing her, the surgeon's and other procurement staff's requests. “He was shaking his head 'no,'” he said. . ”
She told the Journal how she then left her job at KODA and took a job at Paragonix, a leading organ transport products and services company.
There, she helps surgeons prepare organs for transplantation after harvesting them from deceased donors.
She also connected the newspaper to Donna Lawler, the sister of the patient who was almost killed.
Although not corroborating Martin's claims, the woman said her brother's symptoms have improved since he was discharged from the hospital three years ago, but he still has brain damage and is receiving speech and occupational therapy.
No other details were disclosed.
Meanwhile, the House Energy Subcommittee met to address continued updates on the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Organ Procurement and Transplant Network, which includes companies such as KODA.
Greg Segal, president of an advocacy group seeking to reform the organ procurement process, alleged that another organ procurement organization (OPO) was administering fentanyl to potential donors to hasten their deaths.
Meanwhile, Dr. Karp alleges corruption and mismanagement by both UNOS and OPTN, calling volunteers on the boards and committees that govern both “industry insiders” with inherent conflicts of interest with their agencies and professional organizations. I decided that it was.
Robert Cannon, a liver transplant surgeon at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told the committee how he was allegedly instructed to harvest organs from spontaneously breathing patients, calling it “murder.” Ta.
Others called for “reform,” “transparency,” and “accountability,” as well as a “complete overhaul” of the organ transplant system in which companies like KODA receive subsidies from the federal government.
There, officials took turns criticizing UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing), the organization that administers OPTN. In addition to “reform,” “transparency,” and “accountability,” some called for a “complete review” of the organ transplant system.
On one occasion, Dr. Cannon said, “I was encouraged by an OPO administrator to proceed with organ procurement despite legitimate concerns that the donor was still alive.”
Dr. Karp, on the other hand, alleges corruption and mismanagement by both UNOS and OPTN, calling volunteers on the boards and committees that govern both “industries” that have inherent conflicts of interest with their agencies and professional organizations. He was determined to be an “insider.”
“OTPN in broad daylight hides data that suggests new policies will increase organ disposal, leading to more patient deaths, and ignores the increase, complexity, and cost of organ disposal resulting from new policies. It continues,” he said.
“OPTN leaders are working behind the scenes to ensure that OPO leaders are not held accountable for poor performance and to stifle competition,” he continued.
The Kentucky Attorney General's Office said it was investigating the allegations against KODA and also condemned Martin's claims in a statement. “We do not make death decisions and we do not compromise ethical standards for organ donation,” it says.
“They threatened to block new contractors by refusing to release data or share their information centers, and they intimidated and retaliated against those in the community with whom they disagreed.”
The Kentucky Attorney General's Office said it was investigating the allegations against KODA and also condemned Martin's claims in a statement.
“Our commitment to ethical practices means following strict protocols to ensure patient safety and integrity throughout the organ donation process,” it reads.
“Organ donation will only take place after the patient has been declared dead by an independent clinician at the treating hospital, and there are clear procedures in place to follow if the patient’s condition changes.
“We do not make death decisions and we do not compromise ethical standards for organ donation.”
