ALBANY – The Albany Medical Center Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) will be recognized by The Center for Donation & Transplant (CDT) for their dedication to organ and tissue donation in the hospital network and greater community. The PICU will receive the “Donate Life Healthcare Champions of the Year” award at the organization’s annual Donate Life Celebration dinner on Thursday, April 23^rd, at the Saratoga Springs Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Michael Thibault, Executive Director of Center for Donation & Transplant said, “In times of unimaginable sadness, the PICU team is able to provide comfort, strength and hope to families by helping to facilitate donation. They are supportive and dedicated partners to the Center for Donation and Transplant, and we are honored to present this award to the entire PICU team in recognition of the skilled and compassionate care they provide to organ donors and their families.”

The Donate Life Celebration is held each year to recognize health care professionals and individuals in the greater community that support CDT’s mission and work to increase organ and tissue donation.  Each year staff from CDT’s 43 partner hospitals are invited to nominate colleagues that go above and beyond in their support of donation and saving lives through transplant.

The Center for Donation & Transplant (CDT) is a non-profit organ procurement organization (OPO) dedicated to increasing organ and tissue donation.  CDT coordinates the retrieval of donor organs and tissue at 43 hospitals throughout northeastern New York state and western Vermont.