Donor Protections
To make the kidney donation experience as safe and convenient as possible, Donor Care Network Centers of Excellence offer a wide range of support, protections, and programs for living donors.
Best Practices & Continuous Improvement
Donor Care Network Centers of Excellence have committed to providing the highest level of service, support and care to living kidney donors. Donors who donate through the Donor Care Network are asked to provide feedback via email surveys throughout the donation process to enable centers to quickly correct any process that needs improvement and to ensure the donor has the best experience possible. See all commitments.
Donor Shield Protections
Donor Shield is a comprehensive set of protections offered to all living kidney donors who donate through a Donor Care Network Center of Excellence. Donor Shield includes cost reimbursement for lost wages, donation-related travel and dependent care, legal support, complication protection, and more. Learn more about Donor Shield.
Easy Online Screening
Potential donors can use our convenient online system to complete an initial screening and medical history to determine if they are medically qualified to donate and which centers will accept them as donor candidates. Donor candidates can complete the screening on their schedule from home for optimum convenience and privacy. All information is kept confidential, and candidates may opt out of the process at any time.
Local Testing & Donation
With the Donor Care Network, potential kidney donors can have all pre-workup lab testing done at a local lab, free of charge. In some cases, a phlebotomist can come to your home or place of business for blood draws. When it’s time for the donation surgery, donors may choose the DCN center that is most convenient to them. Using GPS tracking and the NKR Failsafe system, the donated kidney will be transported safely to the recipient center for transplantation.
Donor Connect
When you are considering donating a kidney, you probably have questions. All potential donors will have the option to speak with a living kidney donor mentor who can answer questions objectively, offer honest insights, and provide education based on their own kidney donation experience.
Prioritization for a Living Donor Kidney Transplant
Donors who donate a kidney through the Donor Care Network will receive prioritization for a living donor kidney in the unlikely event they need a kidney transplant in the future. Donors who are not donating to a specific recipient can receive up to five kidney prioritization vouchers for immediate family members should they ever need a transplant in the future.