Be ALL In Spotlight: Meet Alex Alzate

Be ALL In Spotlight: Alex Alzate, Hospital Service Coordinator III

Meet Alex Alzate, a valued member of Midwest Transplant Network’s Hospital Services team since July 2022. Prior to joining MTN, Alex served as an organ procurement organization Hospital Services Coordinator at Jackson Memorial Hospital at the University of Miami Health System in Florida. She came to MTN ready for big challenges.

Life’s experiences influence conversations about organ donation

Beyond her professional experience in the OPO world, Alex brings a wealth of life experience. Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Alex immigrated to the United States with her family as a child. Spending many years in Miami provided Alex with the opportunity to know and work with people from all parts of the world. She speaks fluent Spanish, Portuguese and English, and has traveled extensively throughout Europe, South America, Central America and North America.

In her role as an HSC III, Alex uses her vast experiences to provide support to larger donor-potential hospitals and is prepared to facilitate donation conversations with families in times of high donor volume or urgent situations. Her cultural knowledge enables her to foster trust with families from other cultures like her own. Alex commits many evenings and weekends to MTN community-focused projects like Telemundo KC’s annual health fair to help spread trust and information among Spanish-speaking communities in the metro.

Alex is married and has a busy 2-year-old son. When she’s not working, Alex and her family love to travel abroad, venture out to the many diverse Kanas City eateries and help with charities and efforts in the Hispanic community. Alex brings a bright smile, a big heart and positive attitude to all that she does. MTN is fortunate to have her as a member of Hospital Services.

We asked a few questions to learn more about Alex.

In simple terms, how do you explain what we do at Midwest Transplant Network?

We give life through organ donation by honoring the donor’s decision and/or family’s decision.

What would you say to someone who might be unsure about being an organ or tissue donor?

It is a beautiful gift for the person who receives the transplant, and for the family of the donor because it gives life and legacy.

How old were you when you moved from Colombia with your family?

Fourteen years old.

Do you have memories of growing up in Colombia? What are some of your most fond memories?

Just spending time with my large family – cousins, uncles, aunts and getting together with them.

What’s your favorite Colombian food?

My favorite are empanadas.

Where do you like to take visitors when they come to Kansas City?

I take visitors to Union Station and to Q39 for a taste of KC.

If you could learn one more language, what would it be and why?

I would learn French to be able to communicate with people in France whenever I travel there.

Submitted by Lisa Tebb, Hospital Services Coordinator III