On Organ Donation, New York City Can Make the Difference

“Much of the city reports donor registration rates in the 30s, significantly below statewide levels, with the widest gaps in communities where Black and Brown New Yorkers are overrepresented on the waiting list.”

This past year underscored the importance of continually strengthening the organ donation and transplant system. In New York, our state and community leaders advanced meaningful reforms to save and heal lives, maintain public trust in the system, and honor donors and their families. As a result, more than 3,200 New Yorkers received life-changing organ transplants this year, and more than 400,000 New Yorkers newly registered their consent to give the gift of life.  

Thanks to these concerted efforts spearheaded by Donate Life NYS, New York crossed an important milestone: for the first time, a majority of age-eligible New Yorkers were registered donors. That progress reflects critical work from the governor and legislature, the Department of Health, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and community partners across the state. But 50 percent registrations statewide—still far behind the national average—is not a finish line. It’s a starting point for what comes next. 

Our state’s need is urgent. More than 8,000 New Yorkers remain on the waiting list, and roughly 400 die each year due to a shortage of donors. We have more work to do to bridge this gap and ensure every New Yorker who needs a transplant can access one. 

Data clearly points to New York City as a priority. Much of the city reports donor registration rates in the 30s, significantly below statewide levels, with the widest gaps in communities where Black and Brown New Yorkers are overrepresented on the waiting list. The Bronx and Queens sit at 32 percent, and Kings County at 38 percent, rates so low that closing the gap would meaningfully translate into lives saved.

Donate Life NYS’ plan is grounded in trust and access. We are bringing the conversation about organ and tissue donation to New Yorkers where they live, work, and gather, while ensuring opportunities to register are woven into everyday life. In a region with profound transplant needs, saving lives depends on reaching people beyond traditional systems, through trusted voices and realistic touchpoints. By expanding how and where New Yorkers can learn about and say “yes” to donation, we aim to close gaps in access, honor donors, and deliver hope to families waiting for a second chance at life.

That work starts with community: engaging faith leaders, local hospitals, healthcare organizations, and trusted community leaders. In-person and online, we need to continue to spread accurate, life-saving information. 

Policy is also part of the solution. This year, New York State enacted the HEART Act, sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples‑Stokes and Senator April Baskin, which allows New Yorkers on Medicaid to register at multiple transplant centers simultaneously. By providing the opportunity to register at a second transplant center, the HEART Act cuts wait times in half and reduces mortality rates by 20 percent. While not every legislative initiative will have the resounding, immediate impact of the HEART Act, any legislative lever that will save a New Yorker’s life is worth considering and enacting. 

Practical access to registration is also a proven strategy. Over the past decade, Donate Life NYS’s “Doorways to Donation” initiative has made it easier to enroll as an organ and tissue donor while handling routine tasks, including vehicle transactions, hunting and fishing licenses, and, uniquely in New York, when registering to vote. We’re grateful to the front-line staff, such as our state’s County Clerks, who have kept the conversation going at the counter in communities across the state. In the North Country and Western New York, steady education plus easy access has set the pace. Counties such as Hamilton, Jefferson, Ontario, Steuben, Schuyler, Tioga, and Chemung now lead the state in registration rates, creating an inspiring standard to replicate statewide. 

In New York City, this work demands a concentrated and intentional focus. Alongside city leaders, agencies, and community institutions, Donate Life NYS will open doorways to enrollment where they make sense for New York City residents. This is deliberate, long-term work: bringing the choice to register into familiar settings repeatedly, building trust, increasing comfort, and ultimately saving lives.

New York State reached 50 percent enrollment through a shared commitment: patient-centered policy, strong legislative and government support, deep community and statewide partnerships, and New Yorkers’ willingness to enroll when given the opportunity. That same collective effort will drive progress in New York City. As New Yorkers continue to learn that each registered donor can save eight lives and heal 75 others, they continue to choose to give the generous gift of life. 

We invite city leadership, agencies, and community-based organizations to continue and deepen their partnership with Donate Life NYS, working together to meet New Yorkers where they are, strengthen understanding of organ donation, and expand access so more lives can be saved and healed.

Aisha Tator is the executive director of Donate Life NYS.