Hamilton County to consider paid leave for living organ donors; proposal sets caps of 240 hours for kidney/partial liver, 56 hours for bone marrow

Hamilton County commissioners heard presentations from UCHealth, Network for Hope and local nonprofit Off the List on living organ donation and a proposed county resolution that would provide paid leave for county employees who serve as living donors.

Under the draft resolution presented during the meeting, county employees would be eligible for up to 240 hours of paid leave in a calendar year for living kidney or partial‑liver donation and up to 56 hours for bone‑marrow donation, with the leave period beginning on the date of the procedure. Frank Pastara, the county head of human resources, confirmed the policy text in front of the commissioners and said the paid leave would not subtract from an employee’s annual Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allotment nor from their paid sick‑leave balance.

Speakers from UCHealth and its partners described the public‑health and equity rationale for the policy. Corey King, executive administrative director at UCHealth, said the health system has offered paid time off for living donation to UCHealth employees and that the county policy would “inevitably lead to saving many lives here in Hamilton County.” Dr. Govil, a transplant surgeon with UCHealth, told commissioners that living donation shortens wait times and improves outcomes; he said UCHealth’s kidney program reports markedly shorter average wait times locally than national averages and that living donors can continue to live healthy, productive lives after donation.

Matt Niles of Network for Hope, the federally designated organ procurement organization serving the region, said living donation is essential because deceased‑donor supply cannot meet demand. “If nobody gives, nobody gets,” he said, noting that a new person is added to the national transplant waiting list roughly every 10 minutes and that people die while waiting. Darcy Gibson, founder of Off the List, said her program — Together Toward Transplant — provides individualized campaigns for people on waiting lists and reported that 56 percent of families who go through the program find living donors, compared with a national average the presenters cited of about 23 percent.

Presenters and community partners also discussed outreach and equity. County and nonprofit speakers said that mistrust, myths and lack of awareness — particularly in marginalized communities — can reduce living‑donor rates, and that employer support for leave can remove a financial and practical barrier to donation. Renee Mohave Harris of Closing the Health Gap spoke about personal experience and the importance of culturally competent outreach.

Commissioners indicated support in the chamber and county staff said the resolution will be placed on the legislative meeting agenda for a formal vote on Thursday. Staff had not produced a fiscal analysis; Pastara said the county had not estimated participation rates and that publicizing the policy and guiding employees through the process were next steps. Presenters offered to use Hamilton County as an example for other employers if the resolution passes.

No formal vote was taken during the presentation. The county also moved on to two executive sessions later in the meeting.