HHS Moves to Decertify Network for Hope Over Patient Safety Failures
Federal officials are shuttering the organ procurement organization after reviews found some donors may not have been deceased before procurement began.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has initiated the decertification process for Network for Hope, a federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO). The move follows federal reviews that uncovered critical patient safety failures in the organization's operations across Kentucky and parts of Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced the action on August 5, 2026, stating the decision was driven by a commitment to protecting the sanctity of life. The decertification stems from findings that the boundary between life and death was blurred during the procurement process. Specifically, federal reviews indicated that some potential donors may not have been deceased at the time organ procurement was initiated.
These findings were supported by a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) examination of 351 cases spanning 2021 to 2024. The audit revealed that 103 cases, or 29.3%, exhibited concerning features. Most notably, 73 of those patients displayed neurological signs that were incompatible with organ donation, suggesting a systemic failure in the evaluation of donor death.
Systemic Failures and Accountability
The case highlights severe systemic vulnerabilities in the organ procurement process, where failures in donor evaluation risked the lives of living patients. CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz emphasized the necessity of accountability in the management of these critical services. "If you can’t be trusted to safeguard patients and be responsible stewards of American taxpayer dollars, we’ll find organizations that can," Oz stated.
Secretary Kennedy further noted that the integrity of the donation system is paramount for public trust, adding, "Americans who choose to become organ donors deserve a system that honors their gift and protects every patient."
Broader Industry Overhaul
This action is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to overhaul the U.S. organ transplant system. The administration is seeking to restructure the framework of organ procurement and allocation to increase oversight and efficiency.
Key components of this wider reform include the installation of an independent Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) board to replace previous governance structures. Additionally, the administration has moved to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) provisions from the 2024 IOTA model, signaling a shift in the regulatory priorities governing how organ procurement organizations are evaluated and managed.
Next Steps
As the decertification process moves forward, federal authorities will determine the transition of services for the regions served by Network for Hope to ensure that organ procurement and transplantation continue without interruption. The focus remains on restoring trust in the regional system and ensuring that strict neurological and clinical standards for declaring death are rigorously enforced across all federally designated OPOs.