Nearly one year to the day that the Wisconsin Donor Network hosted an African American leadership summit to discuss the state’s status as having one of the lowest Black organ donation rates, officials of the organization can proudly declare its status as among the best.

What has happened in a span of one short year?

Organ donation by African Americans has more than doubled. In fact, the state of Wisconsin saw a nearly 150% increase in the consent rate for organ donation by Black Wisconsinites.

It’s not a coincidence that the unprecedented turn around coincides with the arrival 16 months ago of WDN interim director Jay Campbell and his subsequent decision to prioritize closing in the gap between Black and White donors.

Campbell, an independent consultant who has headed organ procurement organizations throughout the country, served as the catalyst facilitating a significant increase in organ donation among Black Americans, increasing the consent rate from 27% to 75%.

With Black Americans accounting for 37% of the people waiting for transplants, but only a 13% donation rate, some things had to change.

"When I got here, I said ‘we’re going to do a lot of different things,’ but one of the things we need to do is reach out and pull together the African American leadership here," he said.

Campbell’s strategy included what on the surface appeared to be subtle changes, but translated into what could be viewed as a major overhaul of the donor organization. Among other things, he revamped the training for ‘requestors,’ the professionally trained staff that approaches families about donating the organs of loved ones.

At the core of his personalized training was the concept that there is no wrong answer for families, and even if they didn’t agree to donation, the requestor will continue to serve and assist the family during what often is the most traumatic experience of their lives.

Campbell also personally recruited high profile Black leaders to join the WDN’s advisory board, individuals with a unique understanding of organ donation. The new members are Health Commissioner Bevan Baker, Mikel Holt and April Sharkey. Holt is a donor parent, having donated the organs of his late son, Malik. Sharkey is awaiting a lung transplant.

With about 60 people in attendance, last July the Network held the first Summit at Christ the King Church.

One of the responses from the attendees was that the WDN team did not reflect the city demographics, a reality that prompted Campbell to immediately initiate a recruitment drive targeting African Americans. Within a couple of months, he had hired four African American professionals, who now represent one third of the WDN staff.

Summit participants and his new staff quickly developed a major marketing plan that has paid dividends in a very short time frame.

In addition to reaching out to area churches and community leadership, Campbell and his team partnered with the minority media to draw attention to the crisis of organ donation.

The WDN also developed a series of videos and public service announcements to educate the public on the process of organ donation, and to dispel myths that are at the root of Black hesitancy about donation.

Studies and focus group sessions reveal two primary reasons for the reluctance of African Americans to donate organs: a distrust of the health care industry and related fear that hospital personnel will allow Black patients to die to 'steal' their organs, and a misguided religious belief that if you die without certain organs you will not go to heaven.

Members of the WDN core team and board advisors frequently mention those misconceptions during presentations before Black groups, although they never seek to undermine people's beliefs or debate the relevancy of their positions.

One of the newest WDN staff members, Reverend Clarence Thomas will generally counter the argument from a theological perspective, and note that most Christian denominations support organ donation.

And as Holt said at a recent presentation during the Church of God in Christ Conference in Milwaukee, "if the conspiracy theory was true, there wouldn’t be a shortage of organs.

"Black people have justifiable reasons for their conspiratorial concerns, but in this case it’s without merit. The reality is that we are disproportionately impacted by organ donation, but we don’t respond in kind. One of the greatest gifts you can give another is to turn tragedy into triumph; to save another person’s life through organ donation."

The WDN core team also created a new notification card for prospective donors to eliminate the concern of a conspiracy. Unlike the donor cards many people sign, the notification card is signed by the donor and mailed by the WDN to a family member, essentially expressing their desire to have their organs donated in the event of an untimely death.

"People don’t know that even if you sign a donor card, we would never take your organs without the expressed consent of your immediate family," Reverend Thomas explained.

"This new card allows family members the opportunity to know your desire. But the final decision is still left up to the family member."

"It’s more of a call to action; a testimony that ‘okay,’" Campbell explained. "What you are really doing is telling a husband, wife or mom or kids that it’s okay to be a donor if they come to ask." Campbell said.

"The truth of the matter is the way it works, we always ask the next of kin what they want to do. That’s how it works. We don’t take your organs if you sign a donor card," he said. "We’ve had a number of families who’ve said, ‘I know he signed a donor card, but my decision is no.’ And I’ve simply said ‘okay.’ It’s the family’s decision. We support your decision, and we’re here to help you through the process."

The WDN also took a proactive approach to the crisis of health care by focusing some of its resources on health care maintenance. The organization not only educates people on the root causes of debilitating diseases like diabetes and kidney disease, but also sponsors free hypertension and kidney screenings.

"We needed to do something about the health problem," Campbell said. "Rather than coming to the community and saying ‘you need to donate and give up organs,’ we needed to be part of the solution of African Americans having kidney disease."

It has been nearly one year to the day that the Wisconsin Donor Network held its initial leadership summit to spark discussion about organ donation, but within that year so much has changed.

Campbell admits that the short-term success is impressive, but says, "I can’t rest on that alone.

"We have an obligation to work on these issues across the community."

And he will not rest until that commitment is fulfilled.