It was a remarkable year as Midwest Transplant Network reached a major milestone in 2024. For the first time in our history, MTN facilitated 1,075 organ transplants in a single year with gifts from 399 donor heroes.

We are grateful for the generosity of donor heroes and families for making the choice to give the gift of hope and share life. These decisions make a positive difference to individuals and families in Kansas, Missouri and across the country.

Our collaboration with hospital partners and medical professionals is vital to organ donation and transplantation. We deeply appreciate your commitment and support that makes a livesaving difference in the communities we serve and for the recipients whose lives have been enriched by the generosity of our donors.

Communication is key to providing ongoing care, support and education to the families of organ, eye and tissue donor heroes. We remain connected with letters, emails, phone calls and a variety of family events including Hope for the Holidays, Celebration of Heroes and more.

The annual Donate Life Legacy Walk celebrates the gift of life while raising awareness about the importance of registering as organ, eye and tissue donors. The annual community event welcomed 1,700 people in honor of donor heroes and transplant warriors.

MTN is always at the forefront of innovation. After extensive research in partnership with the Center for Practical Bioethics and in listening sessions with our hospital partners, MTN began a new era in leading the way in organ recovery. We have partnered with SpecialtyCare, the largest perfusion provider in the country, to provide perfusion services in organ recovery. This recovery technique known as Abdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion (A-NRP) contributes to successful transplant outcomes and enhances the lives of recipients.

In the fall, we hosted a Transplant Growth Collaboration event with more than 100 organ transplant and senior hospital leaders from the region. The event provided an opportunity to hear from leaders across the U.S. as they shared innovative practices aimed at increasing the rate of successful transplantations and saving more lives. The event was part of the work of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network’s Expeditious Task Force working to reach the bold aim to increase the number of deceased donor transplants in the U.S. from 39,680 in 2023 to 60,000 in 2026.

Critical Care Donation Symposia were held in Kansas City, Missouri, Wichita, Kansas, and Columbia, Missouri. We are proud to host nearly 500 critical care nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers and other healthcare professionals who took part in educational sessions and learned more about advancements in the organ donation process, case studies, and donor and recipient family resources.

We know that effective physician collaboration is essential to success in donation. Onboarding and education for new critical care physicians is a top priority for MTN to establish relationships early and align priorities to best support donor hero families together. We have two medical directors — Carole Freiberger, DO, and Michael Moncure, MD, FACS — to assist in various ways. We’d be glad to have them meet your team.

Thank you for building meaningful relationships with Midwest Transplant Network and creating a legacy for our donor heroes and their families. Our mission drives the work we do to give hope to those awaiting transplants.

Warm regards,
Jan Finn, RN, MSN
President & Chief Executive Officer
Midwest Transplant Network