A disturbing federal review has exposed that some hospitals and organ procurement groups initiated organ collection from patients who were still showing signs of life. The Department of Health and Human Services, under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is launching urgent reforms to restore integrity to the nation’s organ transplant system.
Key Facts:
- HHS and HRSA investigated a federally-funded organ procurement organization (OPO) serving Kentucky, southwest Ohio, and parts of West Virginia.
- In 28 of 351 cases, patients may not have been deceased when the organ procurement process began.
- Secretary Kennedy called the findings “horrifying” and pledged full accountability and reform.
- The Biden administration previously closed the same case without action.
- HRSA has now mandated strict new protocols and oversight for the OPO and national transplant system.
The Rest of The Story:
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) uncovered shocking negligence within a federally-funded organ procurement group.
In nearly 30% of 351 reviewed cases, critical red flags were found. Most alarmingly, 28 patients may have still been alive when their organs were collected.
The affected region included hospitals in Kentucky, southwest Ohio, and parts of West Virginia. HRSA found failures such as poor neurological assessments, sketchy consent procedures, and a lack of medical coordination.
One key issue was the routine violation of the five-minute observation rule—a safety standard meant to confirm death before donation begins. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered an independent review and corrective action plan.
“Hospitals allowed the organ procurement process to begin when patients showed signs of life, and this is horrifying,” he said. Under his directive, the OPO must now create clear procedures, ensure any staffer can stop a questionable donation, and follow enforceable guidelines.
Our findings show that hospitals allowed the organ procurement process to begin when patients showed signs of life, and this is horrifying. The organ procurement organizations that coordinate access to transplants will be held accountable. The entire system must be fixed to… https://t.co/DeiFa2FlEJ
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) July 22, 2025
Commentary:
This report is horrifying. Organ donation is supposed to be about giving life—not taking it prematurely.
When hospitals and organ procurement groups blur that line, they risk destroying public trust in the entire transplant system.
While timing in organ transplants matters, it must never come at the cost of human life. Any pressure placed on doctors to harvest organs from patients not yet truly deceased is not only unethical, it’s inhumane.
We entrust medical professionals to preserve life. Cutting corners in determination of death, particularly in rural hospitals with limited oversight, betrays that trust.
The idea that someone could be declared dead for convenience is chilling. There’s no excuse for skipping basic standards like the five-minute observation rule.
Consent must be informed, protocols must be followed, and no donation should move forward if any doubt remains. These safeguards exist to protect both donors and the integrity of the system.
The fact that the Biden-era oversight board closed this case with no action reflects a dangerous complacency. Transparency and accountability were sorely lacking—until now.
Secretary Kennedy’s decisive actions mark a sharp and welcome departure. His leadership is demanding answers, implementing reforms, and setting a tone that life comes first—always.
The goal is not to halt organ donation, but to ensure it’s done right. Families must be able to trust that their loved one’s final moments are handled with dignity, not rushed for parts.
That trust is the foundation of the entire system. Without it, donation rates will fall and lives will be lost—not saved.
The Bottom Line:
The federal government has revealed serious ethical failures in a key region’s organ procurement practices, where patients may have been declared dead too early.
Secretary Kennedy is taking swift action to correct course and restore public trust.
These changes are critical for ensuring that organ donation remains a compassionate, respectful, and safe process for every family involved.
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