 Well nearly 120,000 people in the United States are waiting right now for an organ transplant. CHI St. Joseph's Health was recently recognized for its work increasing donor registration and registry awareness. Mel Meyer has more in this week's Community Spotlight from Park Rapids. CHI St. Joseph's was awarded platinum recognition through the Health Resources and Services Administration Workplace Partnership for Life Hospital Campaign. The hospital worked with the group LifeSource to educate doctors, patients and the community about donor registration. We set up registry stations in our lobby with volunteers to assist with that online process. There are other ways to become a donor than just the dot on your license. Even letting your family know your wishes can ensure that this happens. Part of their work was to end certain misconceptions. A lot of people believe that if they have donor marked on their license that the hospitals won't save them because they only want the organs to be transplanted. The hospital added 400,000 donors to the nationwide registry since 2011. In the event of a death at the hospital, LifeSource also contacts the family to see if there's an interest in donating. Some families would decline, but some families say yes, I think my loved one would have wanted that. Despite the addition of so many new donors in the event of their death, most people will not qualify to have their vital organs donated. You have to be on a ventilator. You have to be in an ICU and have to have a neural injury to be an organ donor. So not all deaths qualify either. In smaller hospitals like St. Joseph's, anytime there is a donation, it's a profound experience for all involved. These are real lives that we touch, whether it be a donation of eyes or tissue or whether it's a kidney or a heart. With so many people on the waiting list, the more people who sign up, the better. These people are waiting to get a second chance at life. According to LifeSource, 62% of adult Minnesotans have registered as a donor, however a new name is added to the transplant waiting list every 10 minutes. In Park Rapids, I'm Mal Meyer, Lakeland News. If you're interested in registering, you can do so at organdonor.gov. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.