Association of Organ Procurement Organizations Elects New Leadership

Vienna, VA, September 01, 2015 --(PR.com)-- The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) recently announced its incoming leadership for 2015-2016. Gordon Bowen will serve on the AOPO Executive Committee as President-Elect, Joseph Ferreira will serve as At Large Member, and R. Patrick Wood will serve as Medical Advisor-Elect.

Gordon Bowen is currently the Chief Executive Officer for Lifebanc, an Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) serving the Northeast region of Ohio. Bowen served as the Co-Chair of the AOPO Bylaws and Membership Committee from 2014-2015, has served on several workgroups and subcommittees since 1997, and has been highly involved in the organ donation community since 1986. Bowen is also currently a Board Member for the 2016 Donate Life Transplant Games Local Organizing Committee. It is the vision of Lifebanc to “pursue the future when the decision to donate is an honor and everyone waiting receives a transplant,” and this statement is what Bowen intends to focus his presidency on. Bowen will serve on the Executive Committee for three years until 2018 as President-Elect, President, and then Immediate-Past President.

Joseph Ferreira serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Nevada Donor Network, an OPO serving 15 counties in the state of Nevada. Ferreira has served as the Chairman of the AOPO Procurement Council, and has participated in several workgroups and subcommittees in the organ donation and transplantation community. He is also a published author and presenter on organ donation. Mr. Ferreira will serve a two-year term.

R. Patrick Wood, M.D. is currently the Chief Medical Officer at LifeGift, an OPO serving North, Southeast and West Texas. Dr. Wood is also the current Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee at LifeGift. In addition to his roles at LifeGift, he participates in speaking engagements across the nation. Dr. R. Patrick Wood will serve for two years, his second year as AOPO’s Medical Advisor.

Returning Executive Committee members for 2015-2016 include: Jay Campbell, J.D. who becomes President; Kent Holloway, Immediate Past-President; Nikole Neidlinger, M.D., Medical Advisor; and Peter Farstad, Secretary/Treasurer. AOPO also thanks Susan Stuart, Immediate Past-President, Steven Kula, At Large Member, and Anil Paramesh, M.D., Medical Advisor, for their invaluable work and years of service as they rotate off the committee.

About AOPO
AOPO is a non-profit, national organization representing all federally-designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs). The association represents and serves OPOs through advocacy, support and the development of activities that will maximize the availability of organs and tissues and enhance the quality, effectiveness and integrity of the donation process.

About OPOs
OPOs are federally-designated non-profit organizations that are responsible for coordinating organ and tissue donation across the United States, bridging the gap between the generous donation of organs and tissues, and the thousands in need of these life-saving and life enhancing gifts. The federal government has designated 58 organizations in the U.S. to oversee the organ donation process. These organizations are the national stewards of the donation, and they work collaboratively with hospitals, medical professionals and their local community to build the programs, the systems and processes needed to make donation possible.