Donor Alliance has announced that their Donor & Family Services Manager, Serena Altamirano, will be joining the Governing Board of Directors for the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation (AMAT). Altamirano’s appointment represents a significant step in promoting diversity and awareness in organ and tissue donation on a national level. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee at Donor Alliance, which Altamirano co-chairs, focuses on increasing diversity within the organization’s workforce and engaging with underrepresented communities to emphasize the importance of registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor. The appointment is timely, as almost 60% of those on the national transplant waiting list are residents from multicultural communities, with the highest percentages coming from Hispanic, African American, and Asian/Pacific Islander populations. Altamirano will play a crucial role in shaping the direction and impact of AMAT as a board member, advocating for equitable access to transplantation services and raising awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation.
In addition to promoting diversity within Donor Alliance’s workforce, Altamirano has served on AMAT’s Latino Working Group for the last year and will now engage with stakeholders, including multicultural communities, healthcare professionals, and policymakers, as part of her new role. This is an important step in addressing the challenges of increasing tissue donation in minoritized communities. As a federally designated organ procurement organization, Donor Alliance remains committed to saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation, and this partnership with AMAT is expected to significantly enhance the outreach and support for multicultural communities in the organ transplantation field.
