There is a severe continuing shortage of organs and tissue for transplant in the United States and throughout the world. Despite the heroic efforts of surgeons, hospital staff, organ procurement organizations ("OPOs"), the United Network for Organ Sharing ("UNOS") and tissue banks, the shortage has accelerated to crisis levels. By September 2006, in the U.S. alone, over 93,000 people were on the organ waitlist. Nearly 18 die every day while waiting for an organ. For every one person who receives a transplant, two more join the list. The waitlist has surged over the past 5 years, while deceased organ donation has only started to increase - due in part to the real-time electronic information management provided by Transplant Connect. The future is ominous - as the population ages and conditions such as diabetes and hypertension increase, sharp growth in organ failures is projected year after year.

Globally, the shortage is even worse - with some countries not even having well-established transplant programs. This has recently begun to improve with China moving to regulate its transplant processes and India rapidly advancing its transplant capabilities. Transplant Connect's real-time information management systems are being made available to the healthcare providers in many countries around the world so to combat the increasing organ and tissue crisis.

Electronic information management and communications has recently been mandated by CMS regulations. In addition the DonorNet 2007 initiative calls for electronic organ offers. Transplant Connect fully supports these initiatives and provides for seamless data management and exchange. As the transplant field becomes more advanced technologically, there is hope that the organ shortage can be addressed.

The tissue shortage exists at dire levels as well. Many thousands suffer painful and damaging prolonged waiting times for transplants, from severe burn victims needing skin grafts to those awaiting cornea transplants to patients in need of bone, tendon and connective tissue. Transplant Connect also addresses the needs for electronic tissue management, which should address the tissue shortage as well.