U.S. Deputy Surgeon General to speak about organ donation Oct. 26 at SUNY Upstate conference

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The U.S. Deputy Surgeon General, Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Moritsugu, M.D., whose wife and daughter became organ donors after being killed in separate car accidents four years apart, will speak on organ donation to an audience of critical care nurses Tuesday, Oct. 26, at Drumlins Country Club in Syracuse.

Moritsugu, who was appointed Deputy Surgeon General in 1998, has been a dedicated advocate for organ and tissue donation and transplantation. He is a member of the board of directors of the United Network for Organ Sharing and various other organ donation organizations.

He lost his wife in an automobile accident in 1992 and his daughter in a separate automobile accident in 1996. Both were organ and tissue donors. Moritsugu has one surviving daughter.

In addition to Moritsugu's presentation, the Critical Care Nursing Symposium will feature remarks from area nurses and physicians on heart disease and other health-related issues. The symposium is sponsored by SUNY Upstate Medical University.

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