ASHI Speaks Out: Why Recent OPTN Resignations Should Concern Us All

The American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI) is deeply troubled by the recent resignation of eight members from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Board of Directors, all of whom represented key voices for patients and donors. This development raises serious concerns about the direction of ongoing reforms within the transplant system and whether these efforts are truly inclusive.

These departing board members brought essential perspectives from the people most impacted by the transplant process – patients, living donors, and donor families. Their absence is a significant loss, both in terms of lived experience and informed guidance.

Their resignation points to growing frustrations that the modernization of OPTN, led by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), may not be meaningfully involving all stakeholders. The resigning members expressed that their voices were being ignored, and their input was no longer valued. This situation not only reduces representation of important community groups but also risks violating OPTN’s own rules for board composition and governance.

As a leading professional organization committed to excellence in transplant science and immunogenetics, ASHI strongly supports efforts to improve and modernize the transplant system. However, we believe that true reform must be transparent, collaborative, and centered on patients and the professionals who care for them. A strong public-private partnership has always been the foundation of our nation's transplant system, and it should remain central to any future improvements.

We urge HRSA to recommit to genuine engagement with all voices in the transplant community – patients, donor families, medical professionals, and others. Moving forward, modernization should never come at the cost of fairness, inclusivity, and a patient-first approach.

ASHI remains firmly dedicated to promoting thoughtful, effective reform that strengthens the transplant system and upholds the voices of those it serves.