Legislative Activities

Consistently high-performing OPO

Midwest Transplant Network (MTN) is committed to expanding the number of organs recovered and transplanted by pursuing all opportunities for donation and engaging in continuous quality review. Since 2016, MTN has seen a 64% increase in organ donor heroes and a 35% increase in lifesaving organs transplanted. When compared to the other 56 federally designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs) operating in the U.S. from 2011 – 2018, MTN was consistently ranked as one of the top six based on organ donation rates. From 2017 through 2021, MTN ranked first in the nation based on its organ donation rates. Additionally, MTN ranked second in transplant rate in 2020 and third in 2021.

Year	Number of organ donors	Number of organs transplanted
2017	245	816
2018	271	818
2019	282	929
2020	341	898
2021	373	981

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulate different aspects of the U.S. organ transplant system. Under federal law, CMS is charged with conducting surveys of OPOs and recertifying them every four years based on whether they meet the Conditions for Coverage, which include outcome and performance measures. Facilities must correct any problems or deficiencies cited in these surveys to continue receiving payment for services from Medicare and Medicaid. CMS has never found MTN to be out of compliance with any CMS performance measure, which further exemplifies MTN’s commitment to excellence.

Who do we serve?

There are 57 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the nation that serve all 50 states. These OPOs correspond with 57 donor service areas (DSAs).

MTN’s DSA is comprised of western Missouri and all of Kansas, with both states having high enrollment in each state’s donor registry.

MTN’s lobbying efforts are focused on issues and legislation proposed in Missouri and Kansas that may have an impact on the Kansans and Missourians MTN serves.

How do we serve?

MTN’s legislative team are professional advocates who work diligently to influence legislation and policymaking in a way that benefits MTN and the U.S. transplantation system as a whole. This advocacy work includes:

Articulating and communicating MTN’s views to outside stakeholders such as legislative bodies, industry associations and government agencies
Researching, reviewing and tracking proposed legislation and policy initiatives at the local, state and federal level
Meeting with legislators and their staff members to convince legislators to vote on public policies and proposed legislation in favor of MTN’s interests
Developing and nurturing relationships with key contacts to gain exceptional perspectives and the ability to predict legislative outcomes
Educating legislators and their staff to help them understand the issues impacting OPOs by explaining important concepts in a clear, yet passionate, manner so that legislators feel comfortable supporting MTN-endorsed initiatives
Preparing press releases and informational literature with assistance from MTN’s Community Education department
Identifying and developing relationships with groups and organizations that have similar positions or interests to MTN
Responding to regulatory inquiries
Testifying at public hearings or identifying witnesses to testify to further MTN’s goals
Maintaining positive relationships with politicians who can be relied upon to support MTN’s interests
Meeting with and helping politicians draft legislation of interest
Creating and imparting information to the legislators and the community with the help of graphs, charts, polls and reports that illuminate issues in a light favorable to MTN
Writing letters to educate and influence legislators on a variety of issues
- Review newsletters, comments, letters, talking points and request for information responses written by MTN’s legislative team to legislators and government administrators on a variety of issues.

Generally, MTN’s legislative team works to promote, educate, influence and inspire change and action beneficial to carrying out MTN’s lifesaving mission.

What are the issues?

MTN’s legislative team tracks a variety of proposed legislation that may impact organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. Legislation of importance centers around proposed laws and regulations that impact the following entities, professions and agencies:

Pathologists, medical examiners, coroners

MTN works closely with medical examiners and coroners in its DSA to ensure its processes do not impact the preservation of evidence in deaths determined to be criminal in nature
Coroners and medical examiners can make a decision regarding organ and tissue donation for individuals who do not have a legal next of kin that can be determined at the time of death

Licensing, Treasury and Department of Revenue professionals

MTN works closely with DMV offices across its DSA to ensure that staff are trained to properly ask clients whether they wish to be organ, eye and tissue donors when they obtain a license or identification card

Organ procurement and transplantation professionals

Transplant centers and donor hospital professionals

MTN monitors legislation that may impact costs and efficiencies of obtaining a transplant in MTN’s DSA
Pursuant to CMS regulations, OPOs must maintain agreements with 90% of the hospitals in its DSA that are required to report when patient death is imminent so patients can be evaluated for suitability of organ, eye and tissue donation. MTN maintains agreements with approximately 250 hospitals in its DSA.

Living donors and potential recipients

MTN’s lab conducts regular testing for patients of local transplant centers on the waitlist and monitors any legislation or policy that may impact its transplant center partners
MTN monitors legislation that may have an impact of extending or shortening the transplant waitlist, with an eye toward policies that can make transplants timelier and more efficient

Proposed changes to the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA)

The UAGA governs how anatomical gifts are made, evidenced, recorded and revoked, thereby facilitating the availability of organs, eyes and tissues for donation. You can review the revised UAGA, which has been adopted by both Missouri and Kansas using the links below:
Kansas Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act: https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch65/065_032_0020.html
Missouri Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=194.210&bid=9957

Proposed changes to the Right of Sepulcher Statutes

Right of Sepulcher statutes provide certain individuals the right choose and control the burial, cremation or other final disposition of the deceased in Kansas and Missouri.
Kansas Right of Sepulcher Statute: https://www.ksrevisor.org/statutes/chapters/ch22a/022a_002_0015.html
Missouri Right of Sepulcher Statute: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=194.119

Federal regulations impacting reimbursement, funding, certification and management of OPOs

Public comments: A public comment is a comment to a federal agency providing relevant feedback to a proposed rule or regulation under consideration by the U.S. government. A comment may be made either online or in print and allows ordinary people to participate in the federal rule-making process which includes the drafting and refining of laws. Comments may provide a position that lawmakers failed to consider while drafting legislation and can help regulators improve rules.

Learn more about MTN’s partners:

Association of Organ Procurement Associations (AOPO)

National Kidney Foundation Serving Kansas, Oklahoma and Western Missouri (NKF)

Donate Life America (DLA)

Governor’s Organ Donation Advisory Committee (GODAC)

Transplant centers in MTN’s DSA:

University of Missouri Health Care

Research Medical Center

Saint Luke’s Health System:

Children’s Mercy Kansas City

University of Kansas Hospital

Meet the Legislative Team

Professional portrait image of Jan Finn.

Jan Finn, RN, MSN

Jan Finn, President & Chief Executive Officer, has had a long, decorated career working at one of the nation’s premier organ procurement organizations (OPOs), Midwest Transplant Network (MTN). Finn began working at MTN as an Organ Procurement Coordinator in 1990, and she was responsible for all phases of the donation process, including providing services to hospital and community partners. She advanced within the organization throughout her more than 30-year tenure until she became President in 2017. In her role as President and CEO, she represents MTN in front of regulators, legislators, donor hospitals, transplant centers, donor families, other nonprofit organizations and the public to appropriately reflect MTN as an industry expert and trusted resource to the community. Her legislative efforts are focused on influencing regulatory/legislative actions that will provide the best environment for carrying out MTN’s mission and serving constituents of MTN’s donor service area (DSA) while overseeing MTN’s federal and state lobbying efforts.

Finn also serves on the AOPO Advocacy Committee and regularly attends meetings with federal legislators and their staffers as well as federal administrators who represent the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Salama Gallimore, MA, JD

Salama joined MTN in 2019 as the Corporate Attorney and liaison to lawmakers in western Missouri, Kansas and Washington, D.C. She works with state and federal legislators to inform them of current issues, policies and proposed legislation that may impact organ, tissue and eye donation as well as with MTN’s hospital partners to educate legislators on issues impacting transplant centers in Missouri and Kansas and the U.S. transplant system as a whole. Since joining MTN, Gallimore has had the opportunity to meet with legislators in person, participate in legislative hearings, draft public comments in response to proposed regulations and develop relationships with knowledgeable stakeholders from Missouri and Kansas who represent the residents of MTN’s DSA. Gallimore also serves on the AOPO Advocacy Committee to help shape organ donation and transplantation policies and legislation on a national level in conjunction with OPO leaders from across the nation.

1900 W. 47th Place, Suite 400
Westwood, KS 66205
913-262-1668