Peggy Tighe has served as Legislative Counsel to the American Society of Transplant Surgeons for over a decade, playing a central role in advancing key policies shaping the field of transplantation. She was instrumental in the passage of the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act, signed into law by President Obama in 2013, which enabled research on organ transplants between HIV-positive donors and recipients by overturning outdated federal restrictions. She also served as a key advocate behind legislation establishing the Medicare Part B Immunosuppressive Drug benefit, expanding access to lifelong, Medicare-covered immunosuppressive medications for eligible transplant recipients. Peggy helped secure a Department of Labor opinion letter affirming that Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protections extend to living organ donors, and played a leading role in advancing the Living Donor Protection Act, including negotiations with insurers on critical provisions. More recently, she has been deeply engaged in efforts to modernize the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), contributing to a significant ongoing transformation of national transplant policy and systems within the Department of Health and Human Services and Congress.
Understanding Policy and Regulation in Transplantation: Perspectives from Across the Community
Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 3:00pm
The regulatory landscape for organ donation and transplantation is rapidly evolving, with federal policy decisions increasingly shaping practice, operations, and patient access. During this session, panelists will provide practical guidance on how transplant professionals can stay informed about policymaking and public comment processes, share approaches for offering technical and operational input, and examine how coordination across programs and disciplines can support consistent interpretation and implementation of policy and promote equitable, patient-focused outcomes.