NEW YORK, April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- HIP Health Plan of New York today announced that it will observe National Donate Life Month during the month of April. The purpose of the observance among its almost 2,000 employees is to raise awareness of organ shortage and the importance of organ and tissue donation.
According to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), in New York State alone, 15,000 people need life-saving or life enhancing tissue transplantation. Plus, there are about 8,000 people on waiting lists for solid organs and of that group 17 die each day because of the shortage of donors. Kidney failure, for example, is not reversible and its only solution is the transplantation of a healthy donated human kidney.
HIP’s awareness program for its employees and for members at health care centers will feature presentations by transplant surgeons, donor family members’, recipients and religious and community leaders. Also, groups formed to foster organ donations will participate. The program for employees will be take place over a three-day period, April 27, 28 and 29. The program for members will take place at the centers during April and May.
For more information about NDLM, please call Health and Human Services or visit http://www.organdonor.gov/. Any media interested in attending the presentations at HIP’s corporate headquarters, 7 West 34th Street, on April 29, please contact: Ivy Quijano at (212) 630-8783.
HIP Profile
HIP Health Plan of New York, acknowledged nationally as an industry leader, is the largest HMO in the New York metropolitan area. HIP provides access to care in a variety of ways. Members can go to doctors organized and practicing in medical groups; they may see doctors associated with leading hospitals, including Beth Israel Medical Center, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, St. Barnabas Hospital, Lenox Hill Hospital or Montefiore Medical Center; or members can access HIP’s network of close to 20,000 doctors in over 31,000 locations. In addition, HIP is affiliated with more than 100 participating hospitals, including those listed above. More information about HIP can be obtained at our Web site, hipusa.com, which is available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean.
HIP
CONTACT: Ivy Quijano of HIP, +1-212-630-8783
