WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital is proud to announce that it has been awarded the Platinum Level Award at the 2025 CORE Donate Life West Virginia Hospital Challenge, in recognition of its outstanding efforts to raise awareness about organ, eye, and tissue donation across the Mountain State.

The award was presented on August 15, 2025, during a special ceremony held at Stonewall Jackson Resort. Accepting the award on behalf of the hospital was Annie Thorne, RN – Cardiac Rehab, who received the honor from Jim Kaufman, President & CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association and Kori Aubel, Professional Services Liaison for CORE.

The Platinum Level Award distinction is given through the statewide hospital challenge, which is organized by the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) in partnership with Donate Life West Virginia and the West Virginia Hospital Association (WVHA). The initiative encourages hospitals to educate staff, patients, and the community about the critical need for organ and tissue donation and to increase the number of registered donors in the state.

“Receiving this award reflects our team’s deep commitment to promoting the life-saving mission of organ and tissue donation,” said Skip Gjolberg, President of WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital. “We are honored to be recognized and will continue working to educate and inspire our community to become registered donors.”

The hospital’s ongoing participation in the challenge includes awareness campaigns, staff education, and community outreach efforts aimed at highlighting the importance of donation and honoring those who give the gift of life.

To learn more about how you can register as an organ donor, visit www.donatelifewv.org.