US government moves to shut down Kentucky organ donation organization
The federal government is moving to shut down the organization that manages organ donations in the Kentucky region, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. announced Wednesday, calling the organization a “bad apple,” reports BritPanorama.
“When an organization entrusted with the gift of life repeatedly puts patients at risk, the federal government has the duty to act, and that’s why we’re acting today,” Kennedy said at a news conference in Lexington.
Louisville-based Network for Hope has been under federal scrutiny for more than a year, since a whistleblower who worked with an earlier version of the nonprofit disclosed to Congress a case where staff began harvesting a man’s organs before he was actually dead.
In 2021, the man, TJ Hoover, overdosed and was taken to the hospital in cardiac arrest. After being unresponsive for several days, he reported waking up on the operating table as his chest was being shaved and his body prepared for surgery, overhearing staff discussing plans to take his organs. A doctor eventually called off the surgery, and Hoover was not operated on.
Concerns were raised by hospital staff during the procedure about Hoover’s awareness; nevertheless, the organ procurement organization insisted on proceeding, according to Natasha Miller, a perfusionist with the group at the time. The family was reportedly not informed that Hoover had regained consciousness and was resisting the procedure.
Hoover now lives with his sister in Richmond, Kentucky, and is undergoing extensive physical therapy and treatment, much of which they share on TikTok to inspire others. Network for Hope did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on Kennedy’s announcement.
At the time Hoover’s case was revealed, the group claimed it had reviewed the case and “remains confident that accepted practices and approved protocols were followed,” stating that the incident had been “inaccurately represented.”
Hoover and his sister, Donna Rhorer, attended the HHS news conference Wednesday, where Kennedy expressed gratitude for Hoover’s survival and highlighted the importance of procedural safeguards in organ donation.
“Most organ procurement organizations carry out this work with professional compassion, deep respect for both donors and recipients. Network for Hope repeatedly failed to meet those standards,” he remarked.
Network for Hope, which was formed in 2024 from a merger of Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates and LifeCenter Organ Donor Network, is one of 55 nonprofit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the US, managing donations across Kentucky and parts of surrounding states.
Last year, a Health Resources and Services Administration investigation found that of 351 cases reviewed where organ donation was authorized but not completed, over 100 exhibited “concerning features,” including instances where patients had neurological signs incompatible with organ donation. Mismanagement in the donor system can lead to organs being thrown away or mishandled; approximately 28,000 donated organs go unused due to these inefficiencies, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
HHS has asked Network for Hope to conduct its own investigation, and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network was tasked with identifying the underlying issues causing repeated failures.
“Despite intensive oversight, ongoing monitoring by the OPTN and repeated opportunities for improvement, significant patient safety concerns remained,” Thomas Engels of HHS remarked Wednesday. “Care will still be offered to the patients that are served by this organization.”
Concerns about the broader organ donation system have been highlighted in multiple federal investigations, yet meaningful action to address these issues remains limited, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.
In response to the challenges faced by Organ Procurement Organizations, Kentucky passed its own organ transplant safety law earlier this year that allows staff involved in the transplant process to halt procedures if they have concerns about patient safety. Rhorer emphasized the need for system-wide accountability to prevent potential malpractice going forward.
This situation underscores significant deficiencies within the US organ donation process, as trust between families and organ procurement organizations is paramount to ensuring that every patient is treated with care and respect.
