Congratulations - Arlington DMV Dominates Virginia Competition

The Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) Arlington County Customer Service Center (CSC), on Four Mile Run Drive, drove-out the competition in a state-wide contest to increase the number of registered organ, eye and tissue donors with a 531% year-to-year surge for the month of December.

The Arlington CSC grew their registered donors from 147 in 2016 to an astounding 928 in 2017. Rizwan Hameed, the center’s manager, attributes the increase to employees and management prioritizing this critical issue. “When customers come to the counter, our representatives are trained to ask if they want to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor,” Hameed explains. He says their success comes as a result of several factors: the employees are well trained; they realize the life-saving importance of the issue; and they have the knowledge to answer customer questions about donation.

With an average of 250 customers through the center’s DMV doors every day, the 25 employees have a lot to juggle. The dedicated employees are trained on the profound impact they could have by registering just one donor – eight lives could be saved because someone said yes!

Donate Life Virginia sponsored the state-wide contest to increase the number of registered donors across the state and to motivate customer service representatives to continually ask the question. “If someone isn’t asked if they want to be a registered donor, they don’t have an opportunity to say yes,” says Al Smith, a Donate Life Virginia representative. “This center proves that one person, asking one question, can make an enormous impact on the lives of others.”

The center will receive statewide recognition for their achievements, as well as a luncheon sponsored by Donate Life Virginia to thank the employees for their efforts and commitment to organ, eye and tissue donation.

Currently there are more than 2,400 patients on the transplant waitlist in the state of Virginia. Donate Life Virginia works in partnership with Washington Regional Transplant Community (WRTC), the areas non-profit organ procurement organization, to educate the public on organ, eye and tissue donation with the goal of increasing donor registrations, and ultimately saving more lives.

To learn more, and register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, go to www.beadonor.org.