US health secretary threatens to close KY organ procurement organization
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Federal probe found 103 concerning cases in 350 canceled Kentucky donations.
- HHS ordered policy reforms; decertification looms without full compliance.
- CEO Massa pledges changes after oversight hearing highlights critical errors.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is threatening to shut down Kentucky’s organ procurement organization if it doesn’t comply with changes mandated by a federal investigation.
Kentucky’s organ procurement organization, Louisville-based Network for Hope, is under scrutiny after a Health Resources and Services Administration investigation found the organization ignored signs of life from several patients scheduled for organ donation procedures. The administration examined about 350 cases of canceled organ donation procedures in Kentucky and flagged 103 procedures with concerning features.
The investigation also found the organization had poor neurological assessments, lacked coordination with medical teams, had questionable consent practices and misclassified causes of death, according to the HHS.
The investigation resulted in mandated corrective actions for Network for Hope. The HHS said the organization must submit a full report analyzing its misconduct, develop policies to define donor eligibility criteria and create a rule to allow any staff member to halt a donation process if patient safety concerns arise.
Kennedy threatened to decertify the organization if it didn’t comply with the requirements.
“The organ procurement organizations that coordinate access to transplants will be held accountable,” Kennedy said in a news release. “The entire system must be fixed to ensure that every potential donor’s life is treated with the sanctity it deserves.”
Network for Hope was established in 2024 with the merger of Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates and LifeCenter Organ Donor Network, according to the organization’s website. It is the 16th-largest of 55 similar procurement organizations nationwide that assign employees to hospitals to help manage organ donations.
In a statement posted on the organization’s website, Network for Hope CEO Barry Massa said it will work with the HHS and the administration to develop policies that lead to better patient care.
Network for Hope CEO goes before House subcommittee
Massa spoke to an oversight subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Tuesday about the administration’s investigation. He said the allegations from the administration’s report are serious and alarming, and the organization is reviewing the findings.
“Patient safety is at the forefront of everything we do,” Massa said. “I want to assure the subcommittee that Network for Hope will take any appropriate action necessary to continue to implement policies and procedures to continuously improve and be better, and most importantly, assure and promote patient safety.”
“You and the citizens we serve should expect nothing less.”
Massa and other organ donation officials faced critical questions from subcommittee members about the organ removal process, according to the Washington Post. Specifically, Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Florida, questioned Massa about the case of Anthony Thomas “TJ” Hoover, who was scheduled for organ donation after being declared dead from a drug overdose.
In a case that garnered widespread media coverage, Hoover showed signs of life, such as looking around with his eyes open while being taken to the operating room. A doctor told a family member it was a common reflex, and plans for the operation continued.
Plans for Hoover’s procedure did not change until two doctors declined to operate. He now lives with a family member, who serves as his legal guardian.
“This seems to be a story more fitting for a horror movie than a congressional hearing, frankly,” Dunn said, according to the Washington Post.
Massa responded by saying communication could have been better, and that the COVID-19 pandemic affected communication between his workers and hospital staff, according to the Washington Post.
Network for Hope has implemented several changes since the administration’s investigation, such as including checklists for nurses and attending physicians to help them follow organ removal surgery protocols, according to the Washington Post.
“At Network for Hope, we recognize that organ donation and transplant system cannot succeed without public trust, and that public trust must be earned,” Massa said. “Every stakeholder in this complex ecosystem can and should always strive to be better, and Network for Hope is no exception.”
This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 1:00 AM.
