LifeCenter Northwest, a local organ procurement organization recently announced the Clark Fork Valley Hospital as the recipient of the 2017 Tissue Donation Referral Achievement Award.

Clark Fork Valley Hospital is one of 26 hospitals in their four-state service area to receive the Tissue Donation Referral Achievement Award.

They are being recognized for their superior performance in tissue donation last year.

The award is presented to hospitals for reaching or exceeding a referral rate of 95 percent.

The organizations said that timely referrals have a significant impact on donation outcomes.

“One of the most important steps in donation is recognizing that a patient has met referral criteria and making the referral call in a timely manner. Achieving and maintaining a high timely referral rate is incredibly challenging and requires a strong commitment to donation, a testament to Clark Fork Valley Hospital’s dedication,” the LifeCenter Northwest said in a press release.

Types of tissue recovered include bone, skin, tendons, nerves, and heart valves. These gifts can help infants born with congenital heart defects, promote healing for burn victims, prevent amputation for veterans with traumatic nerve damage, and restore health and function for many other patients in need.

LifeCenter Northwest is the federally designated organ procurement organization serving Alaska, Montana, North Idaho, and Washington-the largest geographic donation service area in the United States.

For more information, or to register to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor, please visit www.lcnw.org.

LifeCenter Northwest said they were honored to work together with hospital partners and greatly appreciate the contributions they make every day to help save and heal lives through organ and tissue donation.