TDOS & Donate Life Tennessee Announce “Show Us Your Heart Tennessee”
Wednesday, June 03, 2009 | 01:53am
Driver License Donor Designation Information Booths Planned Statewide
NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Department of Safety (TDOS) will host over 25 Donor Designation booths this month designed to educate the public on organ and tissue donation in driver license service centers across Tennessee.
“We are proud of our partnership with Donate Life Tennessee and “Show Us Your Heart Tennessee”, said Department of Safety Deputy Commissioner Greta Dajani. “We are truly making a difference in the lives of Tennesseans waiting for a life saving transplant.”
Tennesseans can register to be an organ donor by simply Checking YES when applying for, or renewing your driver’s license. A small red heart is placed on your driver license and signifies you as an organ donor.
“As a result of our partnership with the Department of Safety, more Tennesseans than ever will be able to register on the Donate Life Tennessee Registry,” says Lisa Clark of Donate Life Tennessee.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has set a goal of reaching 100 million registered donors nationwide by July 1, 2011. That’s roughly 50% of all eligible adults. To reach the goal, over one million more Tennesseans are needed to sign up to save lives. As of May 26, 2009, the actual number of Tennessee registrants is 1,249,698, which is 28% of the 4,387,883 Tennesseans with a driver’s license or state ID.
- As of May 15, 2009, 102,247 people are on the waiting list in the United States, including 2,185 in Tennessee.
- 658 transplants were performed in Tennessee in 2008.
- 6,229 patients in the U.S. and 96 patients in Tennessee died waiting for a transplant in 2008.
For more information on organ and tissue donation, visit any Tennessee Department of Safety Driver Service Center or via the internet at www.tndonorregistry.org. (A list of donor designation booths is provided on page 2 of this release.)
Donate Life Tennessee is a non-profit, state-authorized organ and tissue donor registry, administered by the state’s two organ procurement organizations (OPO), responsible for facilitating the donation process in Tennessee: Tennessee Donor Services and Mid-South Transplant Foundation. The Donate Life Registry assures that all personal information is kept confidential and stored in a secure database, accessible only to authorized OPO personnel.
For further information contact:
Lisa Clark Randa Lipman
Senior Public Education Coordinator Manager, Outreach Community Services
Tennessee Donor Services Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Inc.
(865) 588-1031 (901) 328-GIFT
(865) 250-1950 (Mobile) (901) 328-4438
lclark@dcids.org rlipman@midsouthdonor.org
Senior Public Education Coordinator Manager, Outreach Community Services
Tennessee Donor Services Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Inc.
(865) 588-1031 (901) 328-GIFT
(865) 250-1950 (Mobile) (901) 328-4438
lclark@dcids.org rlipman@midsouthdonor.org
Driver Service Center Donor Designation Information Booths
DATE LOCATION ADDRESS CITY June 1 Anderson County 704 North Charles G. Seviers Blvd. Clinton, Tenn. June 2 Washington County 4717 Lake Park Dr. Johnson City June 3 Knox County (West) 207 Center Park Dr., Suite 2127 Knoxville June 4 Rutherford County 1035 Samsonite Blvd. Murfreesboro Carter County 206 Cherokee Dr., Suite 3 Elizabethton June 8 Wilson County 725 Elkins Dr. Lebanon June 9 Greene County 1210 Hal Henard Rd. Greeneville June 10 Sevier County 1220 Graduate Dr. Sevierville Obion County 1604 B West Reelfoot Ave. Union City Davidson County 624 Hart Lane Nashville June 11 Williamson County 3830 Carothers Parkway Franklin June 12 Knox County (West) 207 Center Park Dr., Suite 2127 Knoxville June 15 Shelby County (5 Locations) June 16 Sumner County 855 N. Bluejay Way Gallatin June 17 Maury County 1701 Hampshire Pike Columbia June 18 Knox County (West) 207 Center Park Dr., Suite 2127 Franklin Carter County 206 Cherokee Dr., Suite 3 Elizabethton June 19 Knox County (Straw Plains) 7320 Region Lane Knoxville June 22 Hamilton County (Bonny Oaks) 6502 Bonny Oaks Dr. Chattanooga Tipton County 220 Highway 51-North, Suite 1 Covington Haywood County Clerk 1 North Washington Ave. Brownsville Washington County 4717 Lake Park Dr. Johnson City June 23 Coffee County 307 Industrial Blvd. Tullahoma June 25 Bradley County 301 James Asbury Drive NW Cleveland Sullivan County 3769 Highway 11-W Blountville June 26 Fayette County 7027 Highway 64 West Oakland McMinn County 150 Plaza Circle Athens June 30 Lake County Clerk 116 S. Court Street Tiptonville Obion County 1604 B West Reelfoot Ave. Union City Hamilton County (Bonny Oaks) 6502 Bonny Oaks Dr. Chattanooga July 1 Shelby County (Summer) 6340 Summer Ave. Memphis (Millington) 5019 W. Union Rd. Millington
The Tennessee Department of Safety’s mission is (www.TN.Gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.