Banner Del E. Webb honored for organ donation support
Organ donation committee members Crystal Diefenbach, Franchesca Totedo and Jason Riske display the award for Outstanding Donor Committee awarded by the Donor Network of Arizona
SUN CITY WEST (Oct. 6, 2011) – Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center received recognition for its contributions to The Donor Network of Arizona at its 25th Anniversary awards dinner last month.
The event, which honored community donation champions for their work in promoting and facilitating organ donation, featured volunteers, media, workplace, community and healthcare partners of the Donor Network of Arizona.
Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center was named “Outstanding Donor Committee.” Committee members included Crystal Diefenbach, Rhonda Farr-Dvorak, Donna Byron, John Riddle, Franchesca Totedo and Jason Riske, who was the Donor Program Development Coordinator.
“We brought a heightened awareness to our hospital and community about the importance of becoming a registered organ and tissue donor,” said committee chairwoman Crystal Diefenbach. “I am so proud of our accomplishments of our team and proud of the Banner Del Webb staff for participating.”
At the committee’s request, an organ recipient and his wife spoke at an employee event at the nonprofit hospital, to encourage others to sign up for organ donation.
“We spent a lot of time educating staff, family members and guests at our facility,” Diefenbach said. “We answered questions and assisted in the application process for the Donor Network.”
Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center was also recognized for “Outstanding Hospital PR Effort” by the Donor Network for its work getting its message out to the community. The hospital’s public relations team raised awareness of the issue throughout the year.
Other Banner facilities honored at the event were Banner Estrella Medical Center, for Outstanding Community Donor Hospital, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center and Banner Estrella for Most Registrations and Banner Health for Outstanding System Support.
According to the Donor Network of Arizona, 119 organ donors in Arizona gave life to 345 people in 2010. Thousands were also healed by the 863 ocular donors and 752 tissue donors in Arizona. More than 112,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, with more than 2,100 people in Arizona on the waiting list.
Arizonans can sign up as registered organ and tissue donors when they apply or renew their driver’s license or ID at the Motor Vehicle Division. They can also become donors by signing up online at www.DonateLifeAZ.org or calling 1-800-94-DONOR.
About Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center
Banner Del E. Webb is a 404-bed, acute-care hospital offering orthopedic surgery, heart care, emergency care, general surgery, cancer care, obstetrics and gynecology, medical imaging, women’s diagnostic services, outpatient services, rehabilitation and behavioral care.
Banner Del E. Webb is part of Banner Health, a nonprofit health care system with 23 hospitals throughout the West. Supporting Banner Del E. Webb’s mission of excellent patient care is Sun Health Foundation, which encourages charitable giving to enhance health care delivery. To learn more, visit: www.bannerhealth.com/webb.
