Harry Wilkins, MD
President/Chief Executive Officer
Harry Wilkins, MD, President/CEO of Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, provides overall executive leadership for the organization, guiding strategic direction and ensuring that the organization delivers on its mission to save and enhance the lives of as many people as possible through organ and tissue donation.
A trauma surgeon for 36 years before joining Gift of Hope in 2020, Dr. Wilkins practiced at Quincy Medical Group in Quincy, Illinois. He was medical director for the Midwest Transplant Network and as board chair for Swope Health Services both located in Kansas City, Mo. He also served as regional advisor to Texas and Missouri statewide trauma systems.
A recognized and highly respected physician champion for organ and tissue donation, Dr. Wilkins is a known expert in the U.S. and internationally. He has served as a consultant to organ procurement organizations (OPOs) across the country teaching physician communication skills and has served as medical advisor to the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) providing guidance on OPO certification, diversity and inclusion.
In 2008, Dr. Wilkins received the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Medal of Honor for his work with the Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative, a national initiative to save lives by spreading known best practices to the nation’s largest hospitals to increase organ and tissue donation. Serving on the collaborative co-faculty, Dr. Wilkins helped lead national improvement initiatives including the establishment of catastrophic brain injury guidelines and donor support practices. He also worked closely with the Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance to develop specialized curricula, including the Organ Donation Advanced Seminar for Standardized Clinical Excellence.
Dr. Wilkins holds a doctor of medicine degree from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and a master’s degree in healthcare management from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He is a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons and has held several academic appointments.