HHS Decertifies Kentucky’s Network for Hope After Review Finds Serious Deficiencies in Cases

US moves to shut a Kentucky organ donation group, citing safety failures The federal government is taking steps to shut down a Kentucky organ donation group accused of continuing plans for organ retrieval from some patients who unexpectedly showed signs of life The Trump administration said Wednesday it will shut down a Kentucky organ donation group accused of continuing plans for organ retrieval from some patients who unexpectedly showed signs of life. While those surgeries were canceled, the cases made headlines several years ago, prompting a spike in people around the country revoking their organ donor registrations. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the nonprofit Network for Hope “a bad apple” and accused it of “persistent safety failures” in announcing the government was starting the process to decertify it. Network for Hope is one of about 55 organ procurement organizations, or OPOs, that coordinate the recovery of organs from deceased donors and help match them to patients on the nation’s transplant list. In a statement, Network for Hope said it “strongly disagrees” with Kennedy’s decision and will appeal. Among the allegations is that in 2021, Network for Hope’s predecessor organization pressured a local hospital to proceed with plans to withdraw life support and retrieve organs from a man despite signs that he was waking up from a drug overdose. The man survived and his sister joined Kennedy at a press briefing Wednesday, thanking him. OPOs cannot declare if someone is dead — only a doctor at the hospital treating the person can do that. Only after that declaration can a donor agency assume responsibility for the deceased, looking for potential recipients and scheduling surgeons to come in to retrieve the organs. Most donations come from people declared brain-dead. But sometimes doctors say a patient has a nonsurvivable injury and the family decides to withdraw life support — and in certain circumstances, that also can allow for donation. In its statement, Network for Hope said it complies with all federal organ policies. It said that over a year ago it implemented a “first-of-its-kind” new safeguard allowing anyone — including health professionals or family members — to call a pause in donation planning if there’s any concern the patient won’t be appropriate. Kentucky recently passed a law mandating that pause and the federal Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network is working on new rules that also would require all the nation’s OPOs to implement it. More than 100,000 people are on the U.S. transplant list, the vast majority seeking a kidney, and thousands will die waiting for a new organ. There were more than 49,000 transplants last year, a record despite a small drop in donations from the deceased — the first such dip in a decade. —- The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The US health department is working to shut down a Kentucky-based organ procurement organization that made headlines over a 2021 incident in which it was accused of trying to harvest a man’s organs while he was still alive. In an announcement Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services said it had begun the process to decertify the organization, Network for Hope (NFH). Losing its certification would effectively shutter the organization, which serves Kentucky as well as parts of Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia. If decertified, another organization will be appointed to coordinate donations in the region. In a statement, NFH said it “strongly disagrees” with the HHS’s finding and will appeal the decertification decision. HHS said its decision stems from two federal investigations of NFH that found “persistent patient safety failures,” despite extensive oversight and opportunities to correct failures. The two investigations were carried out separately by the HHS’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The HRSA investigation, which concluded last year, examined 351 NFH cases in which organ donations had been authorized but were ultimately canceled. In 103 cases, investigators found “concerning features,” including 73 cases in which patients had neurological signs that should have made them ineligible for organ donation. The scrutiny over NFH and other organ procurement organizations comes amid increases in donations from people who have had circulatory deaths (their heart stops), rather than those who have been declared brain-dead. Donation after circulatory death often occurs when patients are not expected to make a recovery and a family decides to withdraw life support. Organ procurement organizations cannot declare a person dead and are barred by law from being involved in care decisions. However, deciding when to remove life support is not clear-cut.

The federal government is moving to shut down the organization that manages organ donations in the Kentucky region, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. announced Wednesday, calling the organization a “bad apple.” “When an organization entrusted with the gift of life repeatedly puts patients at risk, the federal government has the duty to act, and that’s why we’re acting today,” Kennedy said at a news conference in Lexington. The group, Louisville-based Network for Hope, said Wednesday that it “strongly disagrees” with the move and will appeal. Network for Hope has been under federal scrutiny for more than a year, since a whistleblower who worked with an earlier version of the nonprofit told Congress about a case in which staff started to harvest a man’s organs before he was actually dead. CNN was the first national news organization to speak with the man, TJ Hoover, who survived that experience. In 2021, Hoover overdosed and was taken to the hospital in cardiac arrest. After being unresponsive for several days, he woke up on the operating table as his chest was being shaved and his body bathed in surgical solution, and he heard staff discussing how they would take his organs, Hoover told his sister. A doctor finally called off the surgery, and Hoover was not operated on. Earlier in the day, hospital staff had expressed concern that Hoover seemed aware of what was happening and was resisting the procedure, but the organ procurement organization kept “pushing, pushing, pushing to go,” Natasha Miller, a perfusionist who worked with the group at the time, told CNN. The family says they also had not been told that Hoover had regained consciousness and had cried while his body was being prepared. Hoover now lives with his sister in Richmond, Kentucky, and is undergoing extensive physical therapy and treatment, much of which they share on TikTok in an effort to inspire others. At the time Hoover’s case came to light, Network for Hope said it had reviewed the case and “remains confident that accepted practices and approved protocols were followed.” It also said the case had been “inaccurately represented,” including by “individuals never involved with this case.” Hoover and his sister, Donna Rhorer, attended the HHS news conference Wednesday. “TJ, we are grateful that you’re here, and we’re grateful to those physicians who had the courage to do the right thing,” Kennedy told them. “TJ’s story is a powerful reminder that every safeguard exists for a reason. “Most organ procurement organizations carry out this work with professional compassion, deep respect for both donors and recipients. Network for Hope repeatedly failed to meet those standards,” he added. Network for Hope was created in 2024 through the merger of Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates with LifeCenter Organ Donor Network. Last year, an investigation by the Health Resources and Services Administration into Hoover’s case and other suspected problems with Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates found that of the 351 cases it examined in which organ donation was authorized but ultimately not completed, more than 100 had “concerning features,” including 73 patients with neurological signs that were incompatible with organ donation. Evidence pointed to poor neurological assessments, a lack of coordination with medical teams, questionable consent practices and misclassification of causes of death, according to HHS. Network for Hope said at the time that it was “fully committed to transparency” and was in full compliance with all requirements of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which regulates organ donation organizations. “Our goal has always been and will remain to meet the highest ethical and medical standards in donation and transplantation.” HHS ordered Network for Hope to do its own investigation and asked the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), the private organization that oversees transplants in the US alongside HHS, to figure out why there were so many problems. “Despite intensive oversight, ongoing monitoring by the OPTN and repeated opportunities for improvement, significant patient safety concerns remained,” Thomas Engels, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, said Wednesday. “I want to emphasize, even though the action that the secretary is announcing today, care will still be offered to the patients that are served by this organization.” Network for Hope CEO Barry Massa said Wednesday that the group “is compliant with all OPTN policies. … Under HRSA’s oversight, organ donation went down for the first time in 14 years. As a result, more than 3,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant will be negatively impacted by the decision announced today.” Network for Hope is one of 55 nonprofit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) that manage the logistical part of the United States’ organ donation system. The organization coordinated organ donations for nearly 7 million people, covering the entire commonwealth of Kentucky as well as counties in southern Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia. It’s the nation’s 16th largest, according to its website, with more than 300 employees. Organ donations in the US are directly managed by OPOs, nonprofits that deploy staff to local hospitals. Those staff help determine whether organs are viable for transplant, make matches between donors and recipients, work directly with families of the deceased and manage the physical transfer of organs to the recipient. OPOs have come under strict scrutiny in recent years amid accusations that they haven’t provided the kind of care expected of such organizations. Trust in such networks is key, experts say, because the nation’s organ donation system relies on volunteer donors who often sign up when they are applying for a driver’s license. As of 2022, about 170 million people in the US have signed up to donate their organs, but there is always more demand than there are organs available, and less than 1% of donors end up meeting the specific medical criteria to actually donate. Last year, there were more than 48,000 transplants in the US, but more than 103,000 people were on waiting lists, with another person being added to the list every 8 minutes. About 17 people in the United States die every day waiting for a transplant, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. There have been several federal investigations into the country’s organ donation system, but there has been little action to remedy the problems, according to a Government Accountability Office report published in January. A federal investigation found that mismanagement in the donor system can sometimes result in organs being thrown away, being mishandled or even going missing. About 28,000 donated organs go unused because of inefficiencies in the system, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. An investigation by the House Ways and Means Committee found fraud, waste and abuse in the OPO system in general, including “questionable” and “troubling” practices such as interfering with the decision to declare someone dead. A death declaration is the sole responsibility of the hospital caring for the patient, not the organization that procures the person’s organs. In September, HHS moved to shut down another OPO that managed organ donations in the Miami area. An investigation found that Life Alliance Group, an organization working with the University of Miami, had problems with chronic understaffing, safety concerns and underperformance that HHS said resulted in the loss of several opportunities to harvest organs from viable donors. At the time, Kennedy directed all OPOs to have an Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network patient safety officer to oversee patient safety so any events could be investigated in real time. Kentucky passed its own organ transplant safety law, which went into effect in July, allowing any staff involved in the transplant process to stop the procedure if they have questions or concerns. The law also clarifies that donor consent to having organs harvested must be properly documented, and it spells out that a patient must be formally declared dead before their organs can be removed. Rhorer said at the news conference Wednesday that when the hospital sent her brother home, they told her to make him comfortable because he wouldn’t live long – but that was five years ago. “We’re barely scraping by. My life is taking care of my brother, and it wears me out sometimes. But this isn’t just about TJ. Families deserve confidence that every patient is treated safely and every safeguard is followed,” she said. “If we don’t act, this will happen again,” she added. “I will keep fighting until the people responsible are held accountable so no other family has to live what we’re living here.”

By CASSIDY MORRISON HEALTH FEATURES EDITOR Published:22:48, 5 August 2026|Updated:13:02, 6 August 2026 78 Viewcomments The federal government has moved to cut ties with aKentucky-based organ procurement organization after federal investigators found it tried to remove organs from critically ill patients who were showing signs of life. Network for Hope (NFH), the nonprofit thatcoordinates organ donationsacross Kentucky and parts of Indiana,OhioandWest Virginia, was decertified Wednesday after an investigation found ‘serious deficiencies’ in nearly 30 percent of the cases examined. Health and Human Services SecretaryRobert F Kennedy Jr, who announced the decision in Lexington, called the organization a ‘bad apple’ that forced the government to intervene after repeated warnings. Kennedy said: ‘Federal reviewers found serious deficiencies in nearly 30 percent of the cases that they examined. ‘We found patients placed on the organ donation pathway who should have never been there. We found repeated failures in clinical judgment, oversight and patient safety.’ A spokesperson for NFH said it 'strongly disagreed' with the move and plans to appeal. The decision came after a federal investigation into the case of Anthony Thomas ‘TJ’ Hoover II, a 36-year-old Kentucky man who woke up in 2021 as doctors prepared to remove his organs. Hoover had been rushed to Baptist Health Hospital in Richmond following a drug overdose. Doctors declared him brain dead, and his familyauthorized organ donation, believing there was no hope of recovery. Federal officials decertified Network for Hope after finding serious deficiencies in nearly one-third of cases, with RFK Jr. calling the organ donation group a 'bad apple' But as Hoover was wheeled into the operating room, he began thrashing on the table, making eye contact, and crying, according to former employees who were present. A hospital doctor ultimately refused to remove him from life support, and Hoover survived – though he still lives with neurological injuries. Announcing the delisting today, health officials also reported the results of their investigation into NFH, previously known as Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA). For the investigation, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) reviewed 351 cases where organ donation was authorized but ultimately not completed at the organization. Of those, 103 cases, or 29.3 percent, showed ‘concerning features', they said. Seventy-three patients – over 20 percent – displayed neurological signs indicating they were still alive when the organization tried to harvest their organs, the report said. Health officials also claimed that at least 28 patients may not have been deceased at the time procurement was initiated Additionally, the investigation uncovered what it said were poor neurologic assessments, questionable consent practices and misclassification of causes of death, particularly in overdose cases where patients were temporarily showing depressed mental status from drug effects rather than terminal illness. Thomas 'TJ' Hoover II had been rushed to the hospital following a drug overdose. His sister, Donna Rhorer, shared that Hoover got into narcotics after dealing with PTSD, anxiety and depression TJ Hoover still lives with neurological injuries after waking up during organ procurement surgery in 2021. His sister Donna Rhorer has been his caregiver for years NFH CEO Barry Massa said the organization ‘strongly disagrees’ with Kennedy's decision and plans to appeal. 'NFH is compliant with all OPTN policies and has implemented a first-of-its-kind "pause in procedure" process,' Massa said in a statement. 'Despite this, and despite NFH's demonstrated dedication to improving organ and tissue donation outcomes across its service area, Secretary Kennedy has acted to decertify our OPO that serves seven million people across four states.’ Natasha Miller, a former organ preservationist with NFH, was in the operating room the day Hoover was taken for his organs to be harvested. She previously told the Daily Mail: ‘I was just trying to focus on my job, and then once I actually saw him for myself, crying, that was kind of – it makes you feel like, what are we doing?’ ‘It's not always ethical, and that's what needs to change.’ Nyckoletta Martin, another former employee, told investigators Hoover had actually woken up hours earlier during a cardiac catheterization but was sedated and the case continued. An organ transplant coordinator eventually shut down the case after Hoover's condition became impossible to ignore. Miller alleged higher-ups pressured staff to proceed, with one supervisor allegedly telling a coordinator to ‘find another doctor to do it’ or she would be fired. A hospital doctor ultimately refused to remove him from life support and Hoover survived, though he still lives with neurological injuries, including difficulty balancing, talking, seeing and short-term memory loss. His sister, Donna Rhorer, was told to take him home and make him comfortable – that he wouldn't live long. She has now been caring for him for years. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce held hearings on the case, with Florida Republican Rep Neal Dunn calling it ‘a story more fitting for a horror movie than a congressional hearing.’ The decertification is part of a broader reform initiative Kennedy announced in July 2025, which also includes safeguards to prevent line-skipping in organ allocation, a strengthened misconduct reporting system and requirements that all organ procurement groups hire patient safety officers. Before this action, the roughly 55 groups that have federal contracts to manage donations in the country had never faced closure.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has begun the process of decertifying Network for Hope, a federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO), after federal officials concluded the organization failed to correct serious patient safety deficiencies first identified during a sweeping investigation last year. A 2025 HHS investigation found that some potential donors may still have been alive when organ procurement began. As The Dallas Express reported at the time, HHS warned that the OPO, which serves Kentucky and parts of Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia, could lose its federal certification if it failed to implement meaningful reforms. Now, after months of intensified federal oversight, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) have independently concluded the organization did not demonstrate sufficient improvement, prompting HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to initiate the decertification process. “Americans who choose to become organ donors deserve a system that honors their gift and protects every patient,” Kennedy said in a statement. “Today’s action reflects the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting the sanctity of life. Organizations that repeatedly fail to meet federal standards and put patients at risk will be held accountable.” The action is part of the administration’s broader effort to reform the nation’s organ donation and transplant system following federal findings involving donor evaluations and patient safety practices. Federal investigation found troubling patient safety concerns As previously reported by DX, HHS launched a major review in 2025 after reopening a case an Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network committee had closed without action during the Biden administration. Between 2021 and 2024, HRSA reviewed 351 Network for Hope cases involving authorized organ donations that ultimately did not occur. Federal investigators found: - A total of 103 cases, or 29.3%, showed concerning features, including 73 patients with neurological signs incompatible with organ donation. - - Evidence pointed to poor neurological assessments, poor coordination with treating medical teams, questionable consent practices and misclassification of causes of death, particularly in overdose cases. Last year’s investigation found that at least 28 patients may not have been deceased when organ procurement began. At the time, HHS ordered Network for Hope to perform a root cause analysis, strengthen donor eligibility criteria and establish safeguards allowing staff to halt organ recovery procedures when patient safety concerns arose. Reviews found little improvement According to HHS, Network for Hope remained under intensive federal monitoring throughout the past year. In 2025, HRSA directed the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) to implement a comprehensive corrective action plan while CMS launched an independent review to determine whether the organization continued meeting Medicare certification requirements. CMS conducted another comprehensive review in May 2026 and concluded many of the original quality concerns persisted, including deficiencies involving donor evaluations, adverse event reviews and organizational administration. HRSA Administrator Tom Engels said federal officials worked closely with the organization but found the corrective measures insufficient. “HRSA, through its oversight of the OPTN, worked closely with Network [for] Hope over the past year through intensive monitoring and corrective action to address serious patient safety concerns,” Engels said. “Despite those efforts, the organization did not demonstrate the improvements necessary to meet federal standards. When organizations entrusted with the care of potential organ donors fail to meet those standards, we have a responsibility to act.” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the action to begin the decertification process sends a broader message to healthcare providers participating in federal programs. “If you can’t be trusted to safeguard patients and be responsible stewards of American taxpayer dollars, we’ll find organizations that can,” Oz said. Organ procurement reforms continue nationwide HHS said the decertification process is part of a larger effort to restore confidence in the nation’s organ procurement system. Since announcing its reform initiative in July 2025, the department says it has added safeguards to prevent organ-allocation “line-skipping,” installed an independent OPTN governing board, expanded misconduct reporting procedures and launched transparency tools that flag departures from the standard match list. Secretary Kennedy has also directed every federally designated organ procurement organization to appoint a dedicated Patient Safety Officer responsible for monitoring patient safety events, conducting investigations, reporting adverse incidents and overseeing corrective actions. More than 100,000 Americans remain on the national organ transplant waiting list.

The United States government has begun the process of withdrawing the certification of a Kentucky organ-donation organization, accusing it of safety failures related to patients who showed unexpected signs of life. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the measure against Network for Hope on Wednesday, one of the roughly 55 organ procurement organizations operating in the United States. Kennedy called the organization “a rotten apple” and accused it of persistent safety failures. Network for Hope rejected the allegations and said it will appeal the decision. Case details One of the main accusations dates back to 2021, when the organization that preceded Network for Hope allegedly pressured a Kentucky hospital to proceed with preparations to withdraw life support and harvest the organs of a man who had overdosed on drugs. However, the patient began to show signs of recovery. The procurement surgeries were canceled and the man survived. His sister accompanied Kennedy during the announcement of the measure and thanked the secretary for his intervention. Organ procurement organizations do not have the authority to declare a patient dead. That decision is up to the hospital’s physician caring for the patient. Only after death is certified can the organization take responsibility for the donation process and coordinate organ retrieval. Most donations come from individuals declared brain dead. In other cases, when a patient has an injury deemed incompatible with life, the family may choose to withdraw life support and, under certain circumstances, permit organ donation. Network for Hope stated that it complies with federal regulations and noted that more than a year ago it implemented a safety measure allowing family members and healthcare professionals to halt the donation process if there is any doubt about the patient’s condition. Kentucky recently passed a law requiring such a pause, while the Federal Network for Organ Procurement and Transplantation is working on rules that could extend the requirement to all organ procurement organizations in the country. The decision comes as more than 100,000 people are waiting for a transplant in the United States. Most need a kidney, and thousands of patients die each year while waiting for an organ. Last year there were more than 49,000 transplants in the country, a record figure, even though donations from deceased individuals registered a slight decline—the first drop in a decade.

A US organ donation organisation is facing the loss of its federal certification after the Trump administration accused it of serious safety failures, including allegedly attempting to recover organs from patients who were still showing signs of life. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr announced on Wednesday that the government is moving to decertify Kentucky-based non-profit Network for Hope, citing incidents that raised concerns over patient safety. The organisation has denied wrongdoing and said it will appeal the decision. The allegations date back several years and drew national attention after reports emerged that some organ donation procedures had been considered before patients were conclusively determined to be dead. Although the surgeries in question never took place, the cases prompted some Americans to remove themselves from organ donor registries, fuelling wider debate about public confidence in the transplant system. Organ Donation Group Faces Federal Action Over Safety Allegations Announcing the proposed action, Kennedy described Network for Hope as 'a bad apple' and accused the organisation of 'persistent safety failures'. Network for Hope is one of roughly 55 organ procurement organisations across the United States. These organisations coordinate organ donation after a patient's death and help match donated organs with people waiting for life-saving transplants. Among the allegations is an incident in 2021 involving the organisation's predecessor. According to the claims, staff allegedly pressured a local hospital to move forward with withdrawing life support and preparing for organ recovery from a man who had overdosed on drugs, despite indications that he was regaining consciousness. The patient ultimately survived. He appeared alongside Kennedy during Wednesday's press briefing and publicly thanked the Health Secretary. No organ recovery surgery was carried out in that case or in the other incidents referenced by the administration. Under US law, organ procurement organisations cannot determine whether a patient has died. That decision rests solely with the treating physician. Only after a doctor has formally declared death can an organ donation organisation begin coordinating the donation process and arrange transplant surgeries. Network For Hope Rejects Organ Donation Claims Network for Hope has strongly disputed the government's decision, insisting it complies with all federal requirements governing organ donation. In a statement, the organisation said it 'strongly disagrees' with the proposed decertification and confirmed it intends to challenge the decision through the appeals process. The organisation also pointed to new safeguards introduced last year. It said it implemented what it described as a 'first-of-its-kind' measure allowing anyone involved in a donation case, including healthcare professionals and family members, to request an immediate pause if there are concerns that a patient may not be an appropriate donor. Kentucky has since passed legislation requiring such a pause, while the federal Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network is developing new nationwide rules that would require every organ procurement organisation in the country to adopt similar protections. The case has renewed attention on the balance between protecting potential donors and preserving a transplant system that saves thousands of lives each year. More than 100,000 people are currently on the US transplant waiting list, with most waiting for a kidney. According to the report, thousands are expected to die before a suitable organ becomes available. Despite a slight decline in donations from deceased donors, more than 49,000 transplant operations were carried out across the United States last year, setting a new annual record. Whether the allegations against Network for Hope ultimately justify decertification remains unresolved. The organisation has denied the claims, and the proposed federal action is expected to face an appeal. © Copyright IBTimes 2025. All rights reserved.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will effectively shut down the Kentucky organ donation group Network for Hope over "persistent patient safety failures,” Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday. NPR reported in 2024 on an incident several years earlier in which the organ donation organization had attempted to retrieve organs from a patient, Anthony Thomas "TJ" Hoover II of Richmond, who had been declared dead but was “crying visibly” when the group tried to go ahead with the retrieval. “We found repeated failures in clinical judgment, oversight and patient safety,” Kennedy said at a news conference. “We found that these problems continued even after the organization promised to correct them.” Kennedy said the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has reviewed 351 cases between 2021 and 2024, and found nearly 30% showed “concerning failures,” including many in which patients had neurological signs that should rule out donation. Network for Hope covers Kentucky and parts of Ohio, West Virginia and Indiana. Hoover’s sister Donna Rhorer spoke at the news conference Wednesday and said she witnessed what happened to her brother. She said those responsible need to be held accountable. “They prepared to recover his organs while he was still alive,” Rhorer said. “My brother almost died that day. That should never happen to anyone.” Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for Medicare and Medicaid services, said the move sends a clear message to both organ transplant groups and any healthcare provider. “If you can’t be trusted to safeguard patients and be responsible stewards of American taxpayer dollars, we’ll find organizations that can,” Oz said in a statement. Reporting on concerning incidents involving Network for Hope sparked broad concern in Kentucky, including among state legislators. This year, GOP state Rep. Jason Nemes of Middletown sponsored and successfully passed a bill designed to require more oversight and accountability during the organ donation process. House Bill 510 requires a “pause in procedure” if an organ donor has a suspected or observed charge in neurological status, indications of life, or if there is any uncertainty. It also allows medical staff, transplant personnel or the patient’s spouse to request a pause. The pause has to be documented and reported and all organ donation recovery stopped. Kentucky GOP Congressman Brett Gurthrie, who chairs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, applauded Kennedy’s move, calling it “decisive action” to protect American patients. “We have conducted rigorous oversight of the alarming practices in our organ procurement and transplantation system, and the American people deserve to have an organ procurement and transplantation system that they can trust,” Guthrie said in a statement. “This action takes a step forward in restoring integrity back to that system." Network for Hope said in a statement it "strongly disagrees" with the decision and intends to appeal. It said it is compliant with Kentucky’s new law and worked with lawmakers to make the bill happen. "NFH is compliant with all [Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network] policies and has implemented a first-of-its-kind 'pause in procedure' process,” the statement reads. “This pause process is now Kentucky law and NFH proudly worked hand-in-hand with legislators and regulators by providing input in the drafting both of the new law and its implementing regulations.” The organization also pointed to statistics that show that deceased donations dipped in 2025 for the first time in a decade, by about 2.5%. However, the total number of organ transplants still went up as living organ donations increased by 3%, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Spokespersons from University of Kentucky HealthCare and University of Louisville Health said they do not expect any new delays in their organ procurement programs. "For patients, families and organ donors, our message is simple: you can continue to place your trust in the UK Transplant Center,” reads a statement from UK HealthCare. “Our expert teams remain focused on delivering exceptional transplant care, with no expected disruption in services as a result of the announcement made by the Health Resources and Services Administration.” UofL Health spokesperson Heath Fountaine said that organ allocation has changed in recent years from local to a “broader regional and national distribution model.” “Organ transplants will continue at Jewish Hospital. This action is expected to have minimal impact,” Fountaine said. “Because of the organ allocation changes in recent years, the majority of organs for our transplant recipients tend to come from other certified procurement organizations.” Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at a Thursday news conference that Network for Hope had “real problems” and he is now focused on looking for a program that can take its place. “Are they ready to hit the ground running, and to make sure that we have what we need to save as many lives as we can, but that we never go through a situation where someone's about to start that and the person wakes up or is still there,” Beshear said. “That's something we just can't allow to happen.” *This story has been updated to include additional details.

Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who announced the move, described non-profit organisation Network for Hope, based in Kentucky, as "a bad apple". Thursday 6 August 2026 02:09, UK The US federal government is taking steps to shut down an organ donation group in Kentucky accused of trying to retrieve organs from some patients who exhibited signs of life. Non-profit organisation Network for Hope was described as "a bad apple" by health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who, in announcing the Trump administration's move to de-certify it, accused the group of "persistent safety failures". While the surgeries did not ultimately go ahead, the cases made headlines several years ago, prompting a spike in people across the country revoking their organ donor registrations. Network for Hope, one of about 55 organ procurement organisations (OPOs) that coordinate the recovery of organs from deceased donors and help match them to patients on the US transplant list, said it "strongly disagrees" with the decision and will appeal. Among the allegations against Network for Hope is the claim that in 2021, the group's predecessor organisation put pressure on a local hospital to proceed with plans to withdraw life support and retrieve organs from a man despite signs that he was waking up from a drug overdose. The man, who survived the alleged incident, thanked Mr Kennedy and joined the health secretary at a press briefing on Wednesday. 'First-of-its-kind' safeguarding measure US aviation authority orders emergency ban on MD-11 flights after deadly Kentucky crash UPS and FedEx ground fleet of MD-11 cargo planes after deadly Kentucky crash Kentucky plane crash leaves at least 11 dead An OPO is unable to declare that someone is dead – something only a doctor at the hospital treating the patient can do. It is only after that declaration that the responsibility for the deceased can be assumed by a donor agency, which will then look for potential recipients and schedule surgeries to retrieve the organs. Most donations come from people declared brain-dead, but in some cases a doctor might determine that a patient has a non-survivable injury and let the family decide to withdraw life support, which can then also allow for donation. In a statement, Network for Hope insists it complies with all federal organ policies and said it had implemented a "first-of-its-kind" new safeguarding measure last year, allowing anyone – including health professionals or family members – to call for a pause in donation planning if there is any concern the patient might not be appropriate. Read more from Sky News:'Explosive diarrhoea' cases riseArmed man arrested near Trump's golf course Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News Kentuckyrecently passed a law mandating that pause, while the federal Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network is currently working on new rules that also would require all US OPOs to implement it. More than 100,000 people are on the country's transplant list, with the vast majority seeking a kidney. It is believed thousands will die waiting for a new organ. There were more than 49,000 transplants last year, a record despite a drop in donations from the deceased – the first such dip in a decade.

Following the Department of Health and Human Services’ announcement that it is decertifying an organ procurement group serving Kentucky, others are urging people not to let it color how they see organ donation as a whole. At a news conference Wednesday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said federal reviewers found “serious deficiencies” in nearly 30% of cases they examined at Network of Hope, which manages donations for Kentucky as well as parts of Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia. “We found patients placed on the organ donation pathway who should have never been there,” he told reporters. “We found cases where the donation process continued, despite signs that patients were not appropriate organ donors.” Download the Straight Arrow app today to get the stories that matter free from manipulation, bias or agenda.™ Point phone camera here Network for Hope CEO Barry Massa said the organization plans to appeal, adding that it is compliant with all Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network procedures. He also said Network for Hope implemented a “pause in procedure process,” which is required by Kentucky law. HB 510 makes it so there has to be a “pause in procedure” if there is a change in a patient’s neurological status, observed or suspected indication of life, or “uncertainty” regarding the accuracy of their neurological status or death declaration assessments. “Despite this, and despite NFH’s demonstrated dedication to improving organ and tissue donation outcomes across its service area, Secretary Kennedy has acted to decertify our OPO that serves seven million people across four states,” Massa said in a statement. In a statement, the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations said it supports actions to strengthen the nation’s organ donation and transplant system. If one of these organizations falls short of legal standards or requirements, the group said it supports holding them accountable, even if it means decertification. “At the same time, any enforcement process should be transparent, evidence-based, consistent, and provide appropriate due process, including the opportunity to appeal,” the AOPO said. It added that the HHS’ decertification of Network of Hope shouldn’t “diminish public confidence in the nation’s broader organ donation and transplantation system.” “OPOs across the country actively embrace and implement strict processes and protocols to fulfill their primary mission of saving and improving lives through organ donation and transplantation,” the association said. The Mayo Clinic stresses on its website that strict steps are put in place before an organ donation can proceed, and that health care professionals run tests to make sure the person donating is actually dead. Members of OPOs also do not declare someone’s death — the doctors at their hospital do. AOPO urged HHS to publicly explain the evidence behind decertification, and communicate the next steps to “sustain continuity of organ recovery and donation services, minimize disruption for donor families, transplant programs, and patients awaiting transplantation, and ensure the process is transparent, consistent, and grounded in facts.” Kennedy himself said at the news conference that most organ procurement organizations “carry out this work with professionalism, compassion, and deep respect for both donors and recipients.” He characterized Network for Hope specifically as a “bad apple.” What did HHS say about Network for Hope? Between 2021 and 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, examined 351 cases where organ donation was authorized but not completed at Network for Hope. According to HHS, the agencies found 103 cases showed “concerning features,” including 73 patients who they said showed neurological signs incompatible with organ donation. Some potential donors, HHS said, might not have been dead when the organ procurement was initiated. “Evidence pointed to poor neurologic assessments, lack of coordination with medical teams, questionable consent practices, and misclassification of causes of death, particularly in overdose cases,” HHS said. One of the cases that received national attention was that of TJ Hoover. A whistleblower who formerly worked for the organization told Congress that staff at Network for Hope started to recover Hoover’s organs while he was still alive. Hoover’s sister, Donna Rhorer, described at Wednesday’s news conference how her brother’s eyes tracked her during his honor walk, and that the organ procurement process continued despite Hoover “thrashing, crying, and grabbing the doctor’s hands to stop him.” Rhorer said while her brother is still alive, five years later, “he is not the same.” He suffers from nightmares, she said, and she has to take care of him. Network for Hope said at the time it reviewed the case and “remains confident that accepted practices and approved protocols were followed,” CNN reported. The case was “inaccurately represented,” Network for Hope said, including by “individuals never involved with this case.” Then came a June 2025 report by The New York Times that showed officials at Network for Hope “ignored signs of growing alertness” in dozens of other potential donors, along with Hoover. Since these issues came to light, HHS has worked on reforming the organ transplant system. Under an HRSA directive, data about safety-related stoppages of organ donation called for by families, hospitals or organ procurement staff has to be reported to regulators. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network is also mandated to update policies to strengthen organ procurement safety and provide “accurate, complete information about the donation process to families and hospitals,” HHS said. In 2025, HHS had the network start a comprehensive corrective action plan and a monitoring program. That same year, HRSA and CMS initiated their own federal reviews. Cases like Network for Hope’s are rare, organ transplantation org says The American Society of Transplantation stressed that though it is “crucial” to address the questions raised by these media reports and congressional inquiries, the cases that they describe are rare. “The U.S. organ donation and transplant system enables thousands of safe, lifesaving transplants each year,” the American Society of Transplantation said in September 2025. “Yet, public misperceptions about the deceased donor process and organ donation safeguards may discourage individuals from choosing to register as organ donors, thus limiting organ availability when it is needed most. More than 100,000 Americans are waiting for an organ transplant, and we must ensure continued public support and trust for this life-saving mission.” Health systems in Kentucky told Louisville Public Media they don’t expect delays in their organ procurement programs, despite Network for Hope’s decertification, and organ transplants will continue. “For patients, families and organ donors, our message is simple: you can continue to place your trust in the UK Transplant Center,” a statement from UK HealthCare to Louisville Public Media said. “Our expert teams remain focused on delivering exceptional transplant care, with no expected disruption in services as a result of the announcement made by the Health Resources and Services Administration.” According to the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations, there were more than 46,000 deceased donor organs transplanted in 2025. This resulted in 40,000 lives saved, the association said. “AOPO and its members are committed to working with federal regulators and stakeholders to build upon more than a decade of sustained progress while maintaining the public’s confidence in a donation system that saves thousands of lives each year,” the association said Wednesday. “As HHS implements today’s decision, protecting patients, supporting donor families, and ensuring uninterrupted donation and transplantation services must remain the highest priority.” Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news conference on Thursday that he’s looking for another organization to take Network for Hope’s place. Round out your reading - Why Gen Z is staying home on the weekends. - Autism research is entering a new era. Here’s what scientists are learning. - The big reason small cities want data centers. Hint: It’s not permanent jobs. - High school teacher arrested at city meeting after clapping for anti-data center speech. - Off Script: Everyone’s watching Michigan. Our reporter explains why the race just changed.

Supported by U.S. Cuts Ties With Organ Donor Group After Reports of Abuses The federal government is ending its contract with a Kentucky nonprofit that it says pressured medical workers to remove organs from patients who were getting better. The federal government is firing the nonprofit group that coordinates organ donations in Kentucky after finding that it tried to pursue organs from critically ill people who were recovering from their injuries. The decision, announced on Wednesday, will effectively shut down the organization, called Network for Hope. It is part of a monthslong effort to address unsafe and unfair practices in the United States organ transplant system. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose department oversees the transplant system, cut ties with a similar nonprofit in South Florida last year. Before that, the roughly 55 groups that have federal contracts to manage donations in the country had never faced closure. “Today we are restoring integrity,” Mr. Kennedy said at an event in Lexington, Ky. “We will not tolerate organizations that compromise patient safety or betray the trust of donors or their families.” He said that Network for Hope had endangered patients and failed to fix safety lapses despite numerous opportunities to improve. Network for Hope is planning to appeal the decision. The organization said in a statement that it had complied with all federal policies and enacted patient safeguards, and that “more than 3,000 people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant will be negatively impacted by the decision announced today.” Related Content Advertisement