Abstract

This chapter is a contextual investigation of organ donation in the United States. It first presents empirical data related to the growth of donation rates to contextualize relevant developments before introducing the key legal apparatus, the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA). Part Two details policy and legislation regarding transplantation in the US, covering the justification for and goals of organ donation, the history of relevant regulations, and the passage of NOTA. Part Three focuses on the systems and structures of organ transplantation, illustrating the function of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), the payors’ role in the regulation of transplantation, and the Final Rule guiding principles in organ donation. The last section situates developments in Chicago in this context and outlines the role of the regional OPO, Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network (Gift of Hope).