Organ donor registration rates spiked at Safford MVD field office, improving more than any other office
Safford, AZ—Is Safford the most generous city in Arizona? Possibly. In a nutshell—people in the Safford area are more likely to offer the gift of life than anywhere else in Arizona. In fact, seven in 10 people said yes when asked at the Safford MVD in April for National Donate Life Month.
THE SPECS: The rate at which people at the Safford MVD field office said yes to organ and tissue donation went up more than anywhere else in Arizona based on year-over-year data. Measured as donor designation rate (DDR), the number of people who said yes to donation compared to the total number of state IDs or driver’s licenses the Safford MVD issued in April 2023 increased by 22.7% to 70% (the highest in the state) compared to April of the previous year.
In second place comes a FooteWork third-party office (authorized to offer MVD services) in Flagstaff with an 13.53% increase to a 65% DDR.
“We do constant outreach with ADOT MVD and authorized third-party (ATP) offices across the whole state,” says Julia Young who leads Donor Network of Arizona’s partner relations with driver’s license partners, “but we can’t take all the credit. These teams are supportive of donation, and ultimately it comes down to the generosity of their customers who say, ‘Yes, I want to donate.’ In this case, that’s particularly true for the people of Safford and the surrounding community.”
SAVE LIVES MONTH: The Safford MVD field office is part of Bonnie Palomo’s team. Palomo serves as the east regional manager for ADOT MVD. She’s also a hero to Randi Ruiz, her kidney recipient. When Palomo learned Ruiz was in need, she stepped up to get tested as a potential match as a living donor at Mayo Clinic Hospital.
Soon, the transplant team called Palomo with test results with Ruiz by her side. Bonnie was a match! The two women embraced with tears streaming down their cheeks.
“I was relieved and humbled to my core,” Palomo says. “It became real in that moment.”
That spirit of generosity is what we celebrate each August for Save Lives Month. With the full name of Driver License Partners Save Lives Month, DonateLifeAZ celebrates the lifesaving collaboration with MVD and ATP teams who register more new donors in Arizona than anyone else.
“MVD touches so many lives every single day,” Bonnie says. “I am proud to be a part of an organization that supports and promotes organ donation and helps educate customers on the benefits and rewards of saving lives by being a registered organ donor.”
Arizonans can join the DonateLifeAZ Registry when they apply for or renew a driver’s license or state ID at an ADOT MVD or select authorized third-party office. They can also register online at DonateLifeAZ.org.
