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In This Issue:
Andy Whittemore, MD, left, and Richard Luskin on May 17.
New England Organ Bank President Richard Luskin presented BWH Chief Medical Officer Andy Whittemore, MD, with a plaque to commemorate his retirement at a May 17 meeting at the hospital.
“As the Chief Medical Officer for more than a decade, Dr. Whittemore has played a critical role in providing clinical leadership to the organ and tissue donation process at BWH,” said Luskin. “Many hundreds of patients and families have been positively impacted by donation and transplantation both at BWH and elsewhere. The New England Organ Bank has been proud to work with Dr Whittemore and is pleased to be able to present him with a gesture of our appreciation.”
In Whittemore’s tenure as CMO, from 1999 to 2011, there were 130 organ donors and 200 tissue donors at BWH, resulting in 375 organ transplants performed here and at other hospitals. In addition, there have been thousands of tissue transplants as a result of the 200 tissue donors, as a typical tissue donor impacts the lives of more than 50 people.
BWH has also earned five consecutive National Medals of Honor from the Department of Health and Human Services for excellence in organ donation practice and results.
“The New England Organ Bank and BWH have a longstanding and very close partnership based upon our mutual dedication to the mission of giving life to transplant recipients and honoring the selflessness of donors and their families,” Whittemore said. “Our vested interest in expanding the domain of transplantation is grounded in Dr. Murray’s pioneering work performing the world’s first kidney transplant in 1954 up to the current and equally innovative work of Dr. Bohdan Pomahac and his team with face transplantation. The unwavering commitment of the NEOB staff makes this all possible, and we are deeply grateful.”