In the past, donor organs were matched first with local candidates, then regional, then national. As organ preservation technology has improved, it has become possible to transport organs across longer distances, making geography less important in this lifesaving equation. Organs are matched with candidates based on many factors, including blood type, body size, degree of illness in the candidate and the candidate’s distance from the donor hospital. 

Patients needing an organ transplant are evaluated by a transplant center for suitability. If the transplant center accepts a patient as a transplant candidate, their clinical information goes into the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) database. 

When a donor becomes available, Donor Network of Arizona (DNA) staff enter the donor information into the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) computer system, and that system compares donor characteristics to the database of waiting transplant candidates. The system then generates a unique list of potential candidates based upon these factors. The DNA coordinator then notifies the transplant centers when their candidates are eligible to receive an organ based on the available donations.