Simi Valley Hospital is celebrating April as National Donate Life Month by inviting the public to electronically register their organ donation wishes from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thurs., April 2 at the hospital, 2975 N. Sycamore Drive, Simi Valley.

A computer station linked to www.donatelifecalifornia.org will be available in the external cafe area for organ donors to register.

The website is sponsored by Donate Life California, which allows people to legally register and specify their donation wishes, including which organs and tissues they would be willing to give.

An organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people facing dire illness while a tissue donor can save or enhance the lives of as many as 50 people.

In 2008 Simi Valley Hospital was among 24 Southern California hospitals that were recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service for outstanding support in the area of organ donation.

The hospital received a Medal of Honor, which is given to hospitals that maintain a 75 percent donor conversion rate for at least 12 consecutive months.

The organ donation program is a collaborative between the hospital and OneLegacy, the Southern California organ procurement organization. According to Donate Life California, there are nearly 20,000 Californians waiting for an organ transplant.

For more information, call Ron Hyrchuk, hospital chaplain, at (805) 955-6225.