Coming Summer 2022: MTN’s Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit

MTN’s Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit (DCU) is nearing completion. Once fully functional, MTN will begin to transfer patients pronounced deceased by neurological criteria to the unit. Each donor will be evaluated for stability prior to transfer. We are hoping to transfer our first donors in early summer 2022.

So, what will change for our hospital partners? We ask that you continue to make referrals when each patient meets clinical triggers and provide updates when a patient’s status deteriorates or when there is a shift to end-of-life planning. MTN will respond on site, complete donation authorization and begin donor evaluations. If the patient is determined to be stable following brain death testing, MTN’s clinical coordinator will arrange transfer to the DCU. MTN will be responsible for costs and logistics associated with donor transfer.

Honor walks, if your facility holds them, will now go from ICU to the ambulance bay rather than to the OR. Together, we will continue care and management for all donation after circulatory death (DCD) patients at the hospital and through recovery.

By transferring most brain-dead donors to the DCU, we hope to lessen some of the staffing burdens and additional OR hours donor cases generate. Thank you for your continued support of and collaboration with MTN.