–Reilly to Receive Award for Dedication to the Cause of Organ Donation–

Pittsburgh, May 1, 2015 – The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) will honor Fayette County Coroner Dr. Philip Reilly with the Donate Life Ambassador Award for his outstanding contribution to CORE’s mission of saving and enhancing lives. A reception will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 4, 2015 at the rotunda of Fayette County Courthouse (61 East Main Street, Uniontown, PA 15401).

“Throughout his career, Dr. Reilly has made great strides in making donation an option for families who might not have had the opportunity otherwise,” said Susan Stuart, president and CEO of CORE. “The Donate Life Ambassador Award is our way of saying ‘thank you’ for living out our mission and touching countless people’s lives.”

During the course of his work as the Fayette County Coroner, Reilly has saved or forever changed the lives of numerous transplant patients through organ, tissue and cornea recovery. Reilly has served in the Fayette County Coroner’s Office for nearly 24 years—elected for six successive four-year terms by the residents of Fayette County. Reilly has also contributed 45 years of continuous practice in emergency medicine and family practice.

Reilly has made a purposeful and personal effort to remind the surviving members of a deceased individual’s family to consider organ and tissue donation. In his role as coroner, he has encouraged his staff to provide similar reminders and offer any other assistance to help preserve fond memories of lost loved ones. Within the last two and a half years, he has potentially helped improve more than 600 lives.

Beyond those whose lives he has touched personally, Reilly has helped many more by serving as an advocate for organ, tissue and cornea donation. Reilly is a vocal supporter of the Donate Life PA Act, a series of bills now under consideration in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

If it is made into a law, the Donate Life PA Act would provide a comprehensive framework for increasing donation and transplantation. The act provides for enhanced collaboration with county medical examiners and coroners to ensure that donation options are available and implemented for all families consistently throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

About CORE

The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) is one of 58 federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States. CORE works closely with donor families and designated health care professionals to coordinate the surgical recovery of organs, tissues and corneas for transplantation.  CORE also facilitates the computerized matching of donated organs and placement of corneas. With headquarters in Pittsburgh and an office in Charleston, West Virginia, CORE oversees a region that encompasses 155 hospitals and almost six million people throughout western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Chemung County, NY. For more information, visit core.org or call 1-800-DONORS-7.