GREENWICH, Conn., Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) emergency policy requiring serology testing for HIV and West Nile Virus to be completed within 7 days of surgery went into effect yesterday, August 17, 2026. The National Kidney Registry and the National Liver Registry (NKR/NLR) implemented their solution one week earlier, on August 10th, to help ensure transplant surgeries stay on schedule and comply with the new testing policy.
“The NKR and the NLR made it a priority to ensure that transplant surgeries are not affected by the new policy regarding serology testing,” said CEO Garet Hil. “The infrastructure was already in place to provide this service, but we expanded our software to include enhanced tracking, 24-hour monitoring, and access to the service for non-member centers.”
The NKR/NLR’s streamlined serology testing has the capability to complete all 17 serology tests and the final crossmatch for both kidney and liver donations within the 7-day deadline, exceeding the requirements of the OPTN policy.
As part of its streamlined serology service, NKR/NLR provides:
- A precise tracking system that allows centers to confirm tests are completed and processed on time
- Remote phlebotomy options that provide donors with a more convenient and personalized way to complete their blood draw
- The ability to order and schedule serology and final crossmatch tests through a user-friendly portal
- Testing results available within two days of the donor’s blood draw, helping centers meet the tighter testing window without putting surgeries at risk
- Emergency courier services for urgent blood draw shipments
To learn more about the streamlined serology services, contact the National Kidney Registry or National Liver Registry.
About the National Kidney Registry
The National Kidney Registry (www.kidneyregistry.com) is an organization whose mission is to save and improve the lives of people facing kidney failure by increasing the quality, speed, and number of living donor transplants while protecting all living donors.
About the National Liver Registry
The National Liver Registry (www.liverregistry.com) is an organization whose mission is to save and improve the lives of people facing liver failure by increasing the quality, speed, and number of living donor transplants while protecting all living donors.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-kidney-registry-national-liver-registry-ensuring-transplant-centers-can-meet-optn-emergency-policy-deadline-302854400.html
SOURCE National Kidney Registry
