Statement by Jesse Roach, M.D., SVP of Government Relations, National Kidney Foundation, on today's decertification action.
(Washington, DC - August 5, 2026) - "Today’s action by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to decertify the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) Network of Hope, is not surprising. NKF stands in support of patient safety and accountability. Events like those leading to the decertification of Network of Hope are extremely rare but cannot be minimized.
Organ donation is a profound act of generosity, made to save lives. The 170 million registered organ donors and the families who authorize donations deserve absolute confidence that every patient will be treated with the highest standards of safety, dignity, and respect.
Trust in the national organ donation and transplant system must be earned every day. Every organization involved must own its responsibility, act transparently when problems arise, and continually improve patient safety and equitable access to transplantation. More than 90,000 people waiting for a kidney depend on the system to get this right.
Finally, HHS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) must also ensure continuity of patient care and organ procurement throughout the affected donation service area (DSA) as these accountability actions move forward. Patients cannot afford disruptions that allow lifesaving organs to go unrecovered.
Organ donation remains safe, lifesaving, and worthy of the public’s trust. When failures occur, we must confront them, strengthen the system, and ensure every potential organ donor saves as many lives as possible. Accountability cannot allow a single opportunity to save a life to be lost. Patients, their families, and those waiting for a transplant deserve nothing less."
About Kidney Disease:
In the United States, CKD remains an under-recognized public health burden that impacts 1 in 7 adults, and 90 percent of those affected are unaware of their condition. Approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults are at risk for CKD, but less than 20% are assessed with guideline-recommended testing, eGFR and uACR. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to develop kidney failure. Hispanic and Native American people experience kidney failure at approximately double the rate of White people.
About the National Kidney Foundation:
The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.
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For Media Inquiries:
Paul McGee (716) 523-6874 or paul.mcgee@kidney.org