Nonprofit that leads organ recovery in SoCal could be jeopardized by poor rankings
LOS ANGELES -- For decades, this nonprofit has been at the helm of a process that can mean life or death for many Southern Californians: the recovery of kidneys, livers and other organs from deceased donors for transplants.
And for years, federal regulators have deemed OneLegacy to be falling so far short that it could eventually be shut down.
Their verdict comes from a measurement system rolled out in recent years that found the nonprofit has been recovering organs from possible donors at lower rates than the majority of such organizations across the country, according to the latest report released by federal regulators.
OneLegacy has repeatedly ranked among the lowest performers based on its "donation rate," one of two metrics used by the federal government to gauge how effective organ procurement organizations are at their lifesaving work.
Critics including Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, have excoriated many such organizations for "shocking mismanagement," saying that it has resulted in fewer donated organs making it to patients. Porter said OneLegacy in particular "has failed families of organ donors and recipients alike for over a decade."
If OneLegacy continues to lag in the government metrics, it could lose its longtime position managing organ procurement across seven counties in Southern California. In 2026, federal regulators are slated to begin doing something they have never done before: stripping the lowest performing agencies of their duties and offering other contractors a chance to take over their regions.
The federal plan to crack down on underperformers has been rolled out amid sharp concerns in Congress about the power that each of the 56 nonprofit agencies holds over organ donation in its region — a system denounced as repeatedly cited by lawmakers.
