Tag Archive for: eye donation

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Partner Spotlight — Stefanie Dotson, Maryville Licensing Bureau

In honor of National DMV Appreciation Month, we asked Assistant Manager Stefanie Dotson of the Maryville (Missouri) Licensing Bureau about her important role in the donation process. She also shared her personal ties to organ, eye and tissue donation in this Q&A.

Stefanie Dotson with her nephew, donor hero Aiden Jones

Maryville Licensing Bureau Assistant Manager Stefanie Dotson (left) with her nephew, donor hero Aiden

Q: Tell us a bit about the role the DMV plays in organ, eye and tissue donation.

A: As a DMV worker, any time I issue a permit or driver’s license, we ask if they would like to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. I have found that many people are unaware of the program and have no knowledge of the benefits. At that time, I am able to inform them with the facts and use my personal experiences so they can make the right decision for them.

 

Q: Tell us about your connection to organ, eye and/or tissue donation.

A: I have several connections to the organ, eye and tissue donation program. I have a friend who has received two kidneys, and I’m happy to report she’s doing great. My mother-in-law had three kinds of cancer, and my husband was still able to donate her corneas when she passed. The one most dear to my heart is my organ donor hero nephew. He was 16 years old when tragedy struck, and we found ourselves devastated by the news he would not be going home with us. I looked at my sister and said, “You know what the next question is, right?” She said, “No, what?” I said, “Do you want to donate his organs?” She took a bit to talk it over and decided she would. The honor walk was amazing. My sister has since received letters from some of the recipients, which have been amazing to read.

 

Q: How does your specific office help inform and educate patrons on the importance of joining the donor registry?

A: Our office always tries to find fun ways to open up the conversation about being a donor. We like to participate in any decorating contests that are available, we have different displays with facts about being a donor and we include the people we know are recipients or have become a donor hero in our display. Around the holidays, we decorate a tree with the donation colors and add bracelets for the public.

 

Q: Why do you feel your office’s efforts to promote the need for organ, eye and tissue donors are so important?

A: I feel it is important to inform people of the facts about being a donor. There are lots of misconceptions out there about the details that scare people away. When people are informed with facts, it’s easier for them to make the decision to be an organ donor.

 

Q: What is the biggest misconception you hear about donation that you hear in your personal and/or professional life?

A: The biggest misconception I hear is: “I was told I can’t donate my organs by this doctor because of this.”

My mother-in-law’s corneas were still used even though she had three different cancers.

 

Q: If there is one thing you’d want to share with others about the importance of joining the donor registry, what would it be?

A: I just would like people to realize how life-changing it is to be a recipient of an organ. Your loved one gets to live on and is celebrated by people you never knew existed because they are a part of your loved one, with them every day.

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Celebrating One Year of a World-Class Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit

One year ago — Sept. 1, 2022 — Midwest Transplant Network (MTN) opened its new Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit (DCU) after years of careful planning, preparation and training on the processes and technology associated with an in-house facility. Since then, with support from many hospital, professional and community partners, we have cared for 131 donor patients[1] from 29 area hospitals in our world-class DCU. These donor heroes provided 415 lifesaving organs to those who desperately waited for a second chance.

The DCU features a seven-bed onsite intensive care unit, two state-of-the-art operating rooms, a CT scanner with technology to conference remotely with physicians, a specialty laboratory and a family support lounge for donor heroes’ loved ones to gather if desired. Patients who meet certain clinical criteria may be eligible to move to the DCU, where MTN staff members continue administering high-level critical care until surgical teams begin organ recovery.

“It’s hard to believe we have already been providing expert care to donor heroes in our DCU for a year,” said Lori Markham, RN, MSN, CCRN-K, CPTC, MTN Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer. “We had a vision to create a specialized facility in-house for many years, and seeing it come to fruition has been so powerful. I am incredibly proud of our team for all their hard work, and I am grateful for all our partners that have come together to support this new process that allows for better outcomes.”

Since the DCU opened, MTN has enabled more organs per donor to be transplanted than before, with the average number of organs transplanted per donor increasing from 3.1 pre-DCU to 3.35 post-DCU opening among the same type of donor characteristics when recovered in donor hospitals.

“We anticipated that the DCU would allow a focus solely on the process of organ donation and ultimately create better outcomes for transplant recipients,” said Jan Finn, RN, MSN, MTN President & Chief Executive Officer. “It’s an honor to fulfill the mission of MTN in this incredibly important work and also recognize the need to continue innovating and improving to honor donor heroes and their families. We are proud to see our staff and facility working so well allowing us to extend the gift of life to even more recipients and provide hope for those awaiting a transplant.”

MTN staff members are highly trained in the complexity of caring for organ donor heroes in the DCU, which was designed specifically to maximize the gift of life; this can free up critical resources in area hospitals — such as intensive care unit beds and operating rooms — to serve other patients in need.

“My team has complete confidence in sending our patients to Midwest Transplant Network’s DCU,” said Carol Perry, Senior Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer, Stormont Vail Health; MTN Advisory Board. “The state-of-the-art facility allows MTN’s team of expertly trained staff members to provide specialized care for donors as their gifts are matched with recipients and throughout the organ, eye and tissue recovery process. Knowing our donor heroes are receiving high-quality care at the DCU allows us to dedicate resources to critically ill patients in our ICU.”

Out of 56 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the U.S., MTN is just the 12th organization with a donor care and recovery center that is not based in a hospital. Creating the DCU is one of many tactics MTN has taken to improve donation outcomes.

“It was hard to imagine the extent of possibilities and growth that would result from the opening of the DCU — and yet, as a team, we have successfully learned how to perform our own echocardiograms and liver biopsies, take X-rays and prepare our own slides for pathology, all while continuing to provide the best care possible to our donor heroes,” said Emily Freund, BSN, RN, CPTC, MTN Organ Procurement Coordinator III. “The DCU is proving to be key in our mission to increasing gifts transplanted.”

[1] All DCU data pulled from Sept. 1, 2022, through July 31, 2023.

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MTN Achieves Top-Tier Rating From CMS

For the third consecutive year, Midwest Transplant Network is ranked among the top organ procurement organizations in the country by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services performance reporting.

The 2023 OPO Annual Public Aggregated Report shows that based on 2021 data — the most recent data currently available — Midwest Transplant Network is rated as Tier 1A and is third in the nation for both donation and transplantation rates.

There are 56 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the U.S. Each is ranked into one of three tiers based on donation and transplantation rates; each tier ranking has a letter — A to E — from highest to lowest possible performance.

Incorporated in 1973, Midwest Transplant Network is a federally certified, not-for-profit organ procurement organization that facilitates organ, eye and tissue donation in partnership with hospitals and other professional partners to give hope and share life. MTN’s service area is the state of Kansas and western two-thirds of Missouri, with its central office located in Westwood, Kansas, and satellite offices in Wichita, Kansas, and Columbia and Joplin, Missouri. MTN is commemorating 50 years of service in 2023.

“It is our privilege to support donor families and extend their loved one’s legacy,” said Jan Finn, RN, MSN, President & Chief Executive Officer, Midwest Transplant Network.

“We are proud to have achieved a Tier 1A designation among OPOs. It’s a reflection of our generous donor heroes, strong partnerships, dedicated staff members, and a commitment to innovation and improvement.

“Every day, we strive to save and enhance more lives through organ, eye and tissue donation, and we will continue to focus on these important efforts on behalf of donor families, transplant recipients and people on the waitlist,” said Finn.

More than organ procurement

In addition to organ procurement, MTN:

  • Recovers tissues for restorative and reconstructive procedures;
  • Conducts laboratory testing to support organ transplantation;
  • Recovers organs and tissues in a state-of-the-art Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit;
  • Provides 24/7 response on organ referrals from hospital partners;
  • Has staff dedicated to supporting organ, eye and tissue donor families with a variety of resources, including a two-year donor family support program;
  • Shares the importance of joining the donor registry through community engagement;

Has 245 hospital partners in its service area and collaborates with five transplant centers in the care, placement and transplantation of donated organs, including Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Research Medical Center, Saint Luke’s Health System, University of Missouri Health Care and University of Kansas Health System.

Improvements to increase kidney transplants

MTN participates in the national End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices Learning Collaborative (ETCLC), which aims to increase the number of deceased kidney transplants, decrease the non-use rate and increase the use of kidneys with higher expected risk of graft failure. MTN has reviewed the way it manages donors and facilitates the recovery process, as well as the complicated allocation system to identify opportunities for improved data collection and analysis to ensure more people are helped through kidney transplantation.

“By taking a closer look at our donor management, recovery and allocation processes to make improvements and changes, MTN can help more people receive kidneys to improve their health and quality of life. We recognize the concern about kidneys that affect OPOs across the country, so MTN consistently looks for ways to make improvements that could save more lives,” said Lori Markham, RN, MSN, CCRN-K, Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer.

2022: A remarkable year for saving lives

Through MTN, the generosity of donor heroes and their families touched the lives of people in need:

  • 361 donor heroes shared the gift of life, resulting in 972 lifesaving organ transplants.
  • 1,593 cornea and tissue donor heroes saved and enhanced lives.
  • MTN’s lab performed 35,145 transplant-supporting tests ranging from blood counts, urinalysis, basic chemistry panels and more.

“We are proud to be among the top OPOs in the country, yet we know that we must continue working diligently and remain open to improvements if we want to see continued success. We will always follow our mission and vision to make a positive impact on behalf of all the people and communities we serve,” said Finn.

Legislative Changes

Recently, the Senate passed the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Act, S. 1668. The legislation will be sent to President Joe Biden to sign.

If signed, the bill will modify how the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funds and manages the OPTN, a public-private network of professionals involved in the U.S. organ donation and transplantation system. Historically, the contract to manage the network has been awarded to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). The bill “expressly authorizes HRSA to award multiple contracts, or cooperative agreements to support the operation of the network and eliminates a cap on the amount of funding available for supporting the network.”

It’s unclear how the legislation might impact Midwest Transplant Network, however, MTN is supportive of efforts to modernize the U.S. transplantation system which are implemented without significant disruption to OPOs and transplant centers while respecting the charitable nature of organ donation and recovery in a way that encourages community participation and support.

Midwest Transplant Network is commemorating its 50th anniversary serving the people of Kansas and western Missouri. More than 7,000 organ donors from Midwest Transplant Network’s donor service area (DSA) have contributed to over 32,000 lifesaving transplants since MTN’s inception in 1972. Additionally, more than 23,000 tissue donors have given gifts in this timeframe, enabling nearly 250,000 life-enhancing tissue transplants for burn victims, cancer survivors, individuals with sports-related injuries and more.

Organ donor heroes from Midwest Transplant Network’s service area saved the lives of 12 people with an organ transplant in 1972. In 2022, that number was 972, illustrating the thoughtfulness of people in Kansas and western Missouri; the strong support from MTN’s hospital and community partners; and MTN’s commitment to continual improvement and saving more lives. 

MTN Ranks Third Nationally for Donation, Transplantation Rates

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2023 OPO Annual Public Aggregated Performance Report, which outlines individual organ procurement organization (OPO) performance in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available.

The report notes that of 56 federally certified U.S. OPOs:

  • 15 — including Midwest Transplant Network — are Tier 1 (26%),
  • 18 are Tier 2 (32%) and
  • 24 are Tier 3 (42%).

This report places all OPOs into one of three tiers based on donation and transplantation rates. Tier 1 OPOs have the upper 95% confidence limit at or above the top 25th percentile cutoff for both the donation and transplantation rates. Each OPO’s tier ranking also has a letter associated with it; A is the highest-possible performance for that tier and E the lowest.

MTN ranks No. 3 nationally for both donation and transplantation rates; it has been in the top three OPOs for both rates all three years that this report has been released.

Midwest Transplant Network’s assessment rating in Tier 1A reflects the quality, professionalism and excellence in partnerships throughout our service area, as well as the incredible generosity of organ, eye, and tissue donors and their families. It also reflects the commitment our staff members have to saving lives by honoring the gifts of organ, eye and tissue donation.

To learn more, view the full performance report.

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Midwest Transplant Network Presents Awards for Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation Excellence

Midwest Transplant Network staff members recognize their partners in saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation by presenting the annual Excellence in Donation Awards to hospitals, individuals and organizations in our community.

Based on 2022 donation outcomes, Midwest Transplant Network presents the Excellence in Organ and Tissue Donation Awards to hospitals that had a higher-than-average number of families granting authorization for donation. The organization also gives these awards to exceptional partners in hospitals; licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue offices; medical examiner officers; funeral homes and beyond. These individuals made an extraordinary contribution to Midwest Transplant Network’s lifesaving mission.

To recognize these achievements, Midwest Transplant Network provided honored hospitals and individuals with an original piece of art created by Marlene Lewis. “Hope Takes Flight” showcases the transformative power of hope and the metamorphosis that occurs when someone is given a second chance at life. Vertically, the painting is an hourglass; horizontally, it becomes a butterfly. The idea of an hourglass transforming into a butterfly serves as a metaphor for the process of anticipation and the moment when one can soar.

Midwest Transplant Network collaborates with 250 hospitals and would like to recognize the following:

Organ and tissue excellence: AdventHealth Shawnee Mission; Boone Health; Capital Region Medical Center; Hutchinson Regional Medical Center; Kansas Medical Center; Liberty Hospital; Menorah Medical Center; Mercy Hospital Joplin; Overland Park Regional Medical Center; Research Medical Center; Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City; Saint Luke’s North Hospital — Barry Road; The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus; University Hospital, University of Missouri Health Care

Organ excellence: Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Freeman Health System, Mercy Hospital Lebanon, Moberly Regional Medical Center, University Health Lakewood Medical Center

Tissue excellence: LMH Health Hospital, Mosaic Life Care, Olathe Medical Center, Saint Luke’s East Hospital, St. Mary’s Medical Center

In addition to hospitals, Midwest Transplant Network collaborates with countless individuals and teams and would like to recognize the following:

Individual and group honorees: James L. Cook, DVM, PhD, OTSC Missouri Orthopaedic Institute; Rev. Becky Crouse DMin, MDiv, BCC, and Rev. Josh Morris, PhD, MDiv, BCC, Children’s Mercy Kansas City; Freeman Health System Donor Council; Linda Isaac, Midwest Transplant Network Ambassador; Jackson County Treasurer’s Office; Ashish Kulhari, MD, Research Medical Center; Darryl Nelson, MD, Centerpoint Medical Center; the Nickerson family; Yvette Richards, DMin, St. James United Methodist Church; Rabbi Jonathan Rudnick, Jewish Family Services; Jim Walker, MD, Ascension Via Christi St. Francis


About Midwest Transplant Network

Midwest Transplant Network has been connecting lives through organ donation since 1973. As the federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organization (OPO) for Kansas and the western two-thirds of Missouri, Midwest Transplant Network provides services including organ procurement; surgical tissue and eye recovery; laboratory testing; and 24-hour rapid response for referrals from hospital partners. Midwest Transplant Network ranks in the top 10% in the country among OPOs, which reflects the organization’s quality, professionalism and excellence in partnerships throughout the region. For more information, visit mwtn.org.

All Heart: One Recipient’s Journey Back to Health

Each selfless gift given by an organ, eye and/or tissue donor has a true ripple effect: on patients in need of transplant, on the donor’s family, on those who provide care for the donor, on those who care for the recipient and far beyond.

In honor of American Heart Month, we asked heart recipient and volunteer Ambassador Brian Pitts to share his transplant journey. Brian’s powerful and inspiring story is one of so many that Midwest Transplant Network and our partners are fortunate to know.

Watch now!

MTN Celebrates 50 Years of Saving and Enhancing Lives

 

At the start of each year, Midwest Transplant Network reflects on the work we did to save lives with dignity and compassion in the previous 12 months, ensuring a focus on better serving donor heroes, their families and those on the waitlist. Our look back at 2022 is particularly significant as we celebrate our organization’s 50th anniversary of saving and enhancing lives.

We share the graphic below in honor of our 2022 donor heroes and the lives affected by their generous gifts.

Graphically designed image to highlight MTN's 2022 success using data. The background is purple with descriptions written in white and numbers shown in green.For a look even further back, MTN has added a historical timeline to our website that highlights key milestones in our 50 years of saving and enhancing lives. From our incorporation as Midwest Organ Bank in 1973 through the medical advances of the 1980s to improved technology in the 2000s and on through today — Midwest Transplant Network celebrates our past while looking forward to the innovations and improvements awaiting us in the future.

We invite you all to help us celebrate our 50th year by continuing to advocate for the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. Encourage your family and friends to consider joining the organ, eye and tissue donor registry. And remind them to speak with their loved ones about their decision to be a donor. Engage with us on social media and attend our events, spreading the crucial message of giving hope and sharing life.

Our community is stronger because of collaboration with partners in advancing our lifesaving and life-enhancing mission. We thank you all for supporting us throughout the years!

 

 

 

 

Administrative Assistant Spotlight

Photo collage image of the eight women who work to support MTN as Administrative Assistants.

 

As we continue highlighting departments throughout Midwest Transplant Network, we hear now from our talented Administrative Assistant team that is behind so much of the organization’s success.

MTN Administrative Assistant staff members:

  • Melissa Anderson, Administrative Assistant (IT, Community Education, Donor Family Aftercare)
  • Kathy Brown, Administrative Assistant (Wichita and Columbia Regional Offices)
  • Rikki Burke, Administrative Assistant (Organ Procurement, Tissue Services, Donation Services, Family Services)
  • Susan Hubbard, Executive Assistant to CEO
  • Brande’ Johnson, Administrative Assistant to Senior Directors
  • Kim Martin, Customer Relations and Communications Coordinator
  • Terra Price, Administrative Assistant (Hospital Services, Laboratory Services, Quality, Education)
  • Heather Sics, Administrative Assistant to Executive Management

 

Briefly describe what Administrative Assistants do.

MTN Administrative Assistants are responsible for the daily administrative support of 10 unique departments; the executive and senior leadership teams; MTN regional offices; and customer relations for all incoming calls, visitors, patients, vendors and guests for the organization. Our team is involved in all aspects of MTN’s operations to support our mission of saving and enhancing lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. Our admins schedule and support all organizational meetings; maintain calendar awareness and provide meeting and specific project support to leadership; coordinate symposiums, conferences and events; plan travel and deliver monthly expense reporting, in addition to numerous additional activities.Admins are often the first point of contact for incoming requests to the organization. The team takes pride in working and engaging with our customers — whether they be donor family members, patients, partners, vendors or visitors of MTN.


What internal departments and roles do Administrative Assistants work with?

Our team supports 10 departments, three offices, 10 senior leaders and initiatives throughout the organization.Additionally, Administrative Assistant staff members support several MTN governing bodies as well as Strategic Planning and specialty committees, including:

  • MTN Governing and Advisory boards
  • MTN Governance, Executive, Finance and Compensation committees
  • Five Strategic Planning committees and additional subcommittees
  • Two organizational committees


How do you support your teammates when you all support such different teams and types of work?

“For me, it’s a matter of jumping in where I can. If the help is needed, be there, or ask in the midst of the work.  There’s always something that can be done.”
Brande’ Johnson

“I support my teammates in all their different roles by making sure they each have what they need to get their jobs done, and I love finding ways I can make their jobs easier and more efficient.”
Kathy Brown

 

Tell us about some of the events your department plans and creates for MTN.

“I support our Donor Family Aftercare and Community Engagement & Public Relations departments, which host the majority of MTN’s events. One of my favorite MTN events is our annual Donate Life Legacy Walk. My first Legacy Walk was our second year, and seeing this event grow from 250 to over 1,000 attendees has been amazing. I love that this is the one event where all with connections to donation come to honor a loved one, share a story, celebrate with one another and spread the message of organ, eye and tissue donation.” — Melissa Anderson

The Administrative Assistant team participates in the planning and execution of nearly all MTN events — which is a significant undertaking, with more than 50 events held annually. Administrative staff members work in partnership with executive leadership and various departments to produce both internal and external events that reach a variety of audiences. These audiences include members of our communities who champion organ donation; colleagues, hospital partners and clinicians who contribute to the fields of organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation; family members and supporters of our organ, eye and tissue donor heroes; MTN staff members and volunteers; and MTN governing bodies, to name a few.

 

What is the one thing you’d want to tell someone who knows nothing about your work?

Every day is completely different. We are the team that seamlessly makes sure everything is right where you need it to be, when you need it. It’s the classic image of the iceberg: the work you see above water and the massive amount that is contained below. The more flawless an event comes across to the audience, the more work that was put in behind the scenes to create that environment.

 

What inspires you or gives you a sense of fulfillment about your work in support of MTN’s mission?

“The opportunity to be a small part of fulfilling the organization’s mission by being of service to others.”
Brande’ Johnson

“It gives me much pride to know that my efforts are going into saving lives rather increasing profit.”
Susan Hubbard

“I am inspired when I hear successful donor stories and stories of collaboration between MTN and the hospital staff.”
Kathy Brown

 

Why should people say “yes” to organ, eye and tissue donation?

A YES to donation is one of the most selfless and generous things a person can do. We all have an opportunity to create a ripple effect and touch the lives of so many. By saying “yes,” you provide hope to the thousands of people who are awaiting a transplant.


Anything else you’d like to add?

The Administrative Assistant team is growing as MTN continues to grow. We are currently looking for a passionate and experienced Administrative Assistant to support our Sr. Directors of Strategy and Information Technology, and our Chief of Laboratory Services. If you are interested in joining an exceptional team at a critically important, mission-based organization, we would love to speak with you! View the full job description and apply today.

 

Community Partner Feature – St. James United Methodist Church

When communities of faith partner with us to promote the gift of life offered through organ, eye and tissue donation, a beautiful message emerges. As our annual observance of National Donor Sabbath concludes, hear from St. James United Methodist Church’s Dr. Yvette Richards, D.Min., on her work within her community and why she is so passionate about partnering with Midwest Transplant Network.

Community Partner Feature – Hoefer Welker

When Midwest Transplant Network began planning for the creation of its Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit, Hoefer Welker jumped at the chance to design a facility that would honor MTN’s mission to save and enhance lives with dignity and compassion. In this video blog feature, listen to Hoefer Welker’s Diamond Bronson, Associate Vice President and Project Manager, and Patrick McCurdy, Partner and Healthcare Practice Leader, discuss their work and what inspired them in partnering with MTN.