NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH.

ACCORDING TO THE HEALTH RESOURCE ADMINISTRATION, NEARLY 43,000 TRANSPLANTS WERE DONE LAST YEAR, A RECORD NUMBER.

DESPITE MORE PEOPLE GETTING ORGANS, IT IS STILL NOT ENOUGH TO MEET HIGH DEMAND.

RECENTLY, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED A PLAN TO REVAMP THE WAY ORGAN RECIPIENTS ARE CHOSEN AND THE WAY THAT THEY ARE DISTRIBUTED.

JOANNA JOINS US NOW WITH MORE.

WHO HAS BEEN RUNNING THE ORGAN DONATIONS LIST?

>> Reporter: THEY ARE CURRENTLY THE ONLY ORGANIZATION CONTRACTED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO OVERSEE THE SYSTEM.

THEY HAVE FACED CRITICISM WITH THE MASSIVE AND COMPLEX APPARATUS THAT -- I DONATED MY ORGANS TO MY BROTHER TWO YEARS AGO.

THANKFULLY WE WERE A PERFECT MATCH FOR THE TRANSPLANT.

THAT IS NOT THE CASE FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ON THE WAITING LIST.

>> Reporter: LIFE HASN'T BEEN THE SAME FOR CHRISTINE HERNANDEZ FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.

>> I STICK MYSELF HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE.

I STICK MYSELF ALL ALONG THIS WAY AND ALL ALONG THIS WAY.

TO GIVE MYSELF DIALYSIS.

IT IS MY LIFE SUPPORT.

>> Reporter: HERNANDEZ WAS A NURSE BEFORE BEING DIAGNOSED WITH A RARE DISEASE THAT HAS CAUSED HER KIDNEYS TO BAIL.

SHE HAS BEEN ON THE WAITING LIST FOR 4 YEARS.

>> Reporter: DIALYSIS IS SOMETHING I HAVE TO DO TO STAY ALIVE.

TO BE THERE ANOTHER DAY AND THEN I HOPE AND PRAY THAT I GET THAT TRANSPLANT.

>> Reporter: RECENTLY, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED AN INITIATIVE TO REVAMP THE WAITING LIST AND DISTRIBUTION.

THE UNITED NETWORK FOR ORGAN SHARING HAS BEEN THE SOLE OPERATOR OF THE SYSTEM SINCE THE 1980s.

>> THEY TRY TO BREAK IT UP A LITTLE BIT, THEY FIND THINGS THAT ARE BETTER SUITED FOR OTHER TASKS, ORGAN ALLOCATION OR OPTIMIZATION OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT.

>> Reporter: HOW DOES THE SYSTEM WORK?

A FEDERAL AGENCY OVERSEES NO.

IN TURN, THEY RUN THE NATION'S ORGAN PROCUREMENT OR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.

THAT IS A COMPLEX SYSTEM MADE OF TRANSPLANT HOSPITALS AND PROCUREMENT ORGANIZATIONS.

A HUGE OPERATION THAT MATCHES DONATED ORGANS TO PEOPLE WHO SKINNY THEM.

DOCTORS LIKE THAT YET JANE DEPEND ON IT.

>> HOSPITAL HAS A PATIENT THAT JUST PASSED , THAT FAMILY WOULD LIKE TO DONATE THEIR ORGANS.

SO, THE ORGAN PROCUREMENT ORGANIZATION, WE WILL CALL THAT O P.O.. HOSPITAL A CALLS OPO SAY WE HAVEN'T PATIENT THAT PASSED AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO DONATE THEIR ORGANS.

SO, WE'LL CREATES A LIST FOR THESE ORGANS.

>> Reporter: THEY HAVE BEEN CRITICIZED OVER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SYSTEM.

LAST YEAR, THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE FOUND THE ORGANIZATION LOST, DISCARDED, OR FAILED TO COLLECT THOUSANDS OF ORGANS.

ILLINOIS CONGRESSMAN ROBIN KELLY, RECENTLY INTRODUCED A BILL THAT AIMS FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION TO RUN A COMPETITIVE PROCESS TO CHOOSE MULTIPLE CONTRACTORS WHO MANAGE THE NETWORK.

NOT JUST YOU KNOW.

>> MAKE SURE, AGAIN, THAT THE SYSTEM IS MODERNIZED, THAT IT IS RUN EFFICIENTLY MANNERS .

THAT THE INFORMATION IT NEEDS TO BE OUT THERE CAN BE EASILY FOUND.

THE SUCCESS RATES FOR THE WAIT TIMES.

>> Reporter: THERE IS MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE ON THE NATIONAL TRANSPLANT LIST.

TO BREAK IT DOWN A LITTLE FURTHER, IN ILLINOIS, THERE IS APPROXIMATELY 4000 PEOPLE ON THE WAITING LIST.

THAT MEANS PEOPLE LIKE HERNANDEZ MAY WAIT YEARS BEFORE THEY GET THAT LIFE SAVING PHONE CALL.

IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, SHE HAS RECEIVED TWO CALLS THAT ENDED IN DISAPPOINTMENT.

>> Reporter: THE SECOND ONE THAT THEY CALLED WAS COMING FROM THE WEST COAST.

IT WAS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE IT WAS ACTUALLY A GOOD MATCH.

BUT THEY WOULD NOT LET THE KIDNEY GET ON THE PLANE.

I SAID I GOT THIS CLOSE.

>> Reporter: THE IDEA OF SPLITTING RESPONSIBILITY CONCERNS HERNANDEZ.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE ARE SEEING HERNANDEZ WEIGHT.

>> I AM TIRED.

I AM STILL FIGHTING.

>> Reporter: THE GOVERNMENT PLAN IS TO DOUBLE FUNDING FOR PROGRAMMING WHILE UPDATING TECHNOLOGY FOR MANAGING DATA AND IMPROVING INFORMATION.

THEY SAY IT SUPPORTS THE PLAN TO REVAMP THE TRANSPLANT SYSTEM