In honor of Donate Life Month, the California Medical Association (CMA) and the CMA Foundation are encouraging physicians to talk to their patients about the importance of organ and tissue donation, particularly in underserved ethnic communities.

More than 123,000 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant in the United States, with more than 22,000 living in California. Each day, an average of 150 people are added to the national organ transplant waiting list. Unfortunately, an average of 21 patients on the waiting list die each day.

What you can do:

Visit the Donate Life California website, www.donatelifecalifornia.org and sign up to become a donor yourself, if you haven't already done so. If you already registered via the Department of Motor Vehicles, you can also access/update your registry data.

Educate patients about the benefits of becoming a donor. Talk to them about the lifesaving importance of organ and tissue donation and encourage them to register to become an organ donor at www.donatelifecalifornia.org.

Donate Life California is the state authorized nonprofit organization responsible for managing California's Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. The registry is a confidential database of donation wishes to be carried out at the time of death.

Visit www.donatelifecalifornia.org for more information on how you can get involved.