Organ Network Shelves Liver Plan
By LAURA MECKLER
07:29 PM ET 08/27/99
WASHINGTON (AP) - The network that runs the nation's organ transplant system is
ordering four Midwestern states to put on hold a plan to share livers among themselves
because they would exclude Illinois. Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and South
Dakota had agreed to share livers among their sickest patients. But national policy set by
the United Network for Organ Sharing this summer directs that livers be shared among all
the sickest patients in an established region, which in this case includes those states
plus Illinois.
Chicago, with six liver transplant programs, has many sick patients and could
easily end up taking many more livers than it gives to its neighbors, who have some of the
nation's strongest organ donation programs.
In shelving the four-state plan Friday, the network said it would impose a
system for Illinois to pay back the other states for the organs it takes. The states were
ordered to go into a ``formal conflict resolution process.'' The network did not provide
any details of the payback system.
The dispute reflects the larger national debate over organ policy. The Clinton
administration has been trying to force the transplant community to send organs to the
sickest patients first, without regard to the geographic barriers that have governed
allocation policy since transplants began.
Illinois argues that it has a right to its neighboring states' livers, so long
as it has patients who are in most need. Wisconsin and Minnesota say they will share only
if Illinois promises to pay back a liver for every one it takes.
Backers of the four-state plan viewed Friday's decision as a victory because it
would force Illinois to compensate its neighbors for the livers it gets.
``We have always maintained we were willing to share with Illinois, so long as
it was fair sharing,'' said Dr. Anthony D'Alessandro, the director of multi-organ
transplantation at the University of Wisconsin. ``We are elated, quite frankly.'' Although
the four-state sharing policy needed formal approval by the network, participants had
signaled their plans to move ahead with it in the interim.
``We're saying put all that stuff on hold for now,'' said Bob Spieldenner, a
network spokesman. The ruling was made by the network's executive committee, which
met over a conference call Friday.
