Issuu

QUARTER 3 • 2022

DONATION

Connection A newsletter for our frontline partners

In This Issue MTN Updates Excellence in Donation Awards.............................. 2

Funeral Home & Medical Examiner Partners Electronic Tissue Donor Referrals........................ 3 2022 Tri-State Convention......................................... 3 Missouri Coroners and Medical Examiners Association Conference.............................................. 3

Hospital Partners Coming This Summer: MTN’s Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit....................................4 ICU/ED/OR Corner: Potential Organ Donor Referral Badge Cards.................................................5 Investigate Before You Extubate.........................5

Licensing, Treasury and Department of Revenue Partners Highlighting Our Partners........................................6 National DMV Appreciation Month Decorating Contest.......................................................6 Printed and Promotional Item Requests...........6 T-Shirt Store..................................................................... 7 Request for Updated Contact Information...... 7 DMV Virtual Education Training.......................... 7

Legacy Walk Recap

n June 4, more than 1,800 walkers joined us at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in downtown Kansas City. Virtual participants also joined event activities from Spain, Florida, Oklahoma, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas, just to name a few. Virtual participants shared photos and videos of how their families spread the #GiveHopeShareLife message. We were so honored to read and share these stories throughout the day. The Tribute Trail path surrounding the northern lawn of the Memorial honored donors and displayed notes of gratitude from recipients from across our entire Missouri and Kansas region. Our in-person participants were also able to enjoy live music on the lawn, dinner from local food trucks and educational booths sharing the importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation. We thank everyone who stuck with us through the unpredictable weather. We were rewarded with a beautiful night, topped off with a stunning Kansas City skyline lit green in celebration of the gift of life. We are incredibly grateful to the Downtown Council of Kansas City who helped us light the city green in support of this year’s Donate Life Legacy Walk. (Continued on page 2)

Legacy Walk Recap Continued from page 1

Excellence in Donation Awards

n May 3, Midwest Transplant Network (MTN) staff members recognized 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 2021 donation outcomes, MTN presented the Excellence in Organ and Tissue Donation Awards to hospitals that had a higher-thanaverage number of families granting authorization for donation. To recognize this achievement, hospitals and honored individuals were presented with an original piece of art created by Masako Nakashio. Masako uses beautiful Japanese Yuzen Washi Paper and carefully cuts each butterfly to create 3D butterfly hearts. She instills cheer and happiness into each butterfly to fill everyone who views her art with joy! MTN collaborates with nearly 250 hospitals and would like to recognize the following hospitals for excellence:

Organ and tissue excellence: Centerpoint Medical Center; Lawrence Memorial Hospital; Lee’s Summit Medical Center; Olathe Medical Center; Overland Park Regional Medical Center; Saint Luke’s Hospital; Salina Regional Health Center; St. Joseph Medical Center; St. Mary’s Medical Center; Stormont Vail Health; The University of Kansas Health System

Organ excellence: Ascension Via Christi St. Francis; Boone Health; Freeman Health System; Liberty Hospital; Mosaic Life Care; North Kansas City Hospital; University Hospital, University of Missouri Health Care We are thankful for the beautiful evening spent honoring our donor heroes and their families, transplant warriors and their families, and greater community of advocates. If you joined us for this year’s Donate Life Legacy Walk, we invite you to share your event pictures by tagging us on social media. Instagram: @midwesttransplantnetwork Facebook: Midwest Transplant Network

Tissue excellence: Advent Health Shawnee Mission; Bothwell Regional Health Center; Cameron Regional Medical Center; Cass Regional Medical Center; Hutchinson Regional Medical Center; Kansas City VA Medical Center; Kansas Medical Center; Lake Regional Health System; Menorah Medical Center; Nevada Regional Medical Center; Saint Luke’s East Hospital; Saint Luke’s North Hospital; Saint Luke’s South Hospital; SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Jefferson City; Wesley Medical Center

First time organ donors: General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital; Labette Health; Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital

Twitter: @MWTransplant

2 • Learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation at mwtn.org

View the full list of award winners: mwtn.org/excellence-in-donation

2022 Tri-State Convention

he Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska Funeral Directors Associations hosted the 2022 TriState Convention May 1 - 4, 2022, at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center in Overland Park, Kansas. Midwest Transplant Network sponsored Dr. Shane Ritchie, CFSP, who presented on advanced embalming and restoration techniques. Ritchie is a licensed funeral director/embalmer in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia and a published author with articles appearing in many funeral related publications.

Electronic Tissue Donor Referrals

n 2021, a pilot program was implemented with the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office (JOCOME) to send tissue donor referrals electronically via email to MTN. JOCOME sent over 400 referrals in 2021, and of those, 37% became recovered tissue donors, resulting in enhancing the lives of thousands of people through these generous gifts!

Missouri Coroners and Medical Examiners Association Conference

he Spring 2022 Missouri Coroners and Medical Examiners Association Conference was held in Columbia, Missouri, at the Courtyard by Marriott Columbia. The three-day conference had a variety of speakers, presentations, case studies, troop elections and updates from the state. Brad Marten, MTN’s Funeral Home, Medical Examiner & Coroner Liaison, participated in a vendor event during the conference where he answered questions about donation for coroners.

A newsletter for Midwest Transplant Network's frontline partners • 3

Hospital Partner Education About this newsletter

his insert is intended for clinical staff and not for the general public. Please post in a highly visible clinical area such as a break room.

Coming This Summer:

MTN’s Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit

TN’s Donor Care and Recovery Unit (DCU) will open in the Summer 2022. All patients pronounced deceased by neurological criteria will be eligible for transfer to this unit. Donor care and recovery of donated gifts will be facilitated in the DCU. This will minimize the heavy impact donor patients place on the limited staff resources of our hospital partners. MTN recently invited hospital partners to an open house event to look at this new state-of-the-art facility that will deliver world class care to our donor heroes and their families.

/MidwestTransplantNetwork /MidwestTransplantNetwork /MidwestTransplantNetwork @MWTransplant Midwest Transplant Network 3

Pictured: 1. Donor quilts adorn the beds inside the intensive care unit. 2. The DCU is equipped with a top-of-the-line CT scanner. 3. Operating rooms allow for organ recovery to take place at MTN. 4

4 • Learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation at mwtn.org

4. Donor families can find comfort in the family lounge.

Investigate Before You Extubate

our role in terminal extubations is another opportunity to ensure that an MTN referral or update has been made.

PALLIATIVE CARE/ HOSPICE/CASE MANAGERS:

INVESTIGATE

BEFORE

YOU EXTUBATE Please collaborate with the assigned RN to confirm an MTN referral is made on ANY intubated patient for any of the following: • Prior to end-of-life discussions • With discussion of extubation plan • Prior to formal hospice referral • When shifting care goals to end-of-life planning *Please defer any donation discussions to an MTN representative

24-hour MTN referral line:

1-800-366-6791 (1-800-DONOR-91)

Palliative Care/Hospice/ Case Managers:

ICU/ED/OR Corner:

Potential Organ Donor Referral Badge Cards

f you haven’t received our updated organ donor referral badge card pictured above, please reach out to your Hospital Services Coordinator or submit your request through our website. In addition to explaining expanded referral criteria, we included the brain death resource QR code. ICU and ER nurses are responsible to call in timely organ referrals on all ventilated patients. Please remember to call MTN ASAP with any hint of a family shifting to comfort care, terminal extubation or hospice consults. Thank you for all you do to ensure donation is possible for all eligible organ donors and their families. Request badge cards and more: mwtn.org/hospital-request

Please ask the assigned RN if MTN has been updated, prior to any endof-life decisions, shift to comfort care and before a hospice consult.

RESPIRATORY THERAPY

INVESTIGATE

BEFORE

YOU EXTUBATE Please ensure the assigned RN has notified MTN prior to every terminal extubation regardless of diagnosis. 24-hour MTN referral line:

1-800-366-6791 (1-800-DONOR-91)

Respiratory Therapists: Please ask your assigned RN if they have notified MTN prior to every terminal extubation.

A newsletter for Midwest Transplant Network's frontline partners • 5

Highlighting Our Partners

National DMV Appreciation Month Decorating Contest

e want to highlight the amazing work that is

being done around our service area with all of our licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue partners. If you or a colleague has created a special

s you may know, September is National DMV Appreciation Month. We will hold our decorating contest again throughout the month. All decorations will need to be up by Friday, Sept. 2, and remain up throughout the month. Please submit a photo or photo collage of your office’s decoration display by Monday, Sept. 6, at noon to be entered into the decorating contest. All photo submissions will be shared via Facebook for voting. The two offices with the highest number of votes will win lunch provided by Midwest Transplant Network. We will be offering a limited number of decorating kits again this year to the first 30 offices. If you are interested in receiving a decorating kit (which will be sent in August), please submit your request by Monday, Aug. 1.

display, promoted donation

Request decorations: mwtn.org/dmv-request

in a unique way or have a

Submit your photos: mwtn.org/dmv-contest

unique donation education story to share with us, please send the information to egonzales@mwtn.org. We are looking for stories to highlight throughout September, which is National DMV Appreciation Month.

One donor can impact

Printed and Promotional Item Requests

e appreciate you sharing the printed materials, hanging posters and giving promotional items to your patrons. If your office is in need of any additional items, please reach out to egonzales@mwtn.org and we would be happy to fill your request.

up to 100 lives

through organ, eye and

TRANSPLANTABLE ORGANS

KIDNEY

LIVER

LUNG

HEART

PANCREAS

TRANSPLANTABLE TISSUES EYES

(Cornea/Sclera)

The gift of sight

HEART VALVES Vascular repair

MUSCULOSKELETAL Restored mobility

DERMIS

Tissue for burn victims/ mastectomy patients

SAPHENOUS & FEMORAL VEINS Restored mobility

FASCIA Restored mobility

ACHILLES TENDONS Restored mobility

PATELLAR TENDONS

Learn more about organ, eye and tissue donatio n at

Restored mobility

ShareLifeMidwest.com

Learn more about organ, n at eye and tissue donatio

ShareLifeMidwest.com

6 • Learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation at mwtn.org

tissue donation.

INTESTINE

T-Shirt Store

hank you to all who placed orders for our past T-shirt store. Those orders should be arriving soon. The next store opening is scheduled for November of 2022, where we will have a new design to commemorate Midwest Transplant Network’s 50th Anniversary.

Request for Updated Contact Information

f your office has moved or changed contact information, please send us the updated information. We would also like to know if you have had any changes to your staffing numbers as we want to be sure that we have an accurate count when we send gifts and treats. Please send any changes to egonzales@mwtn.org.

DMV Virtual Training

he Department of Motor Vehicle Virtual Training continues to remain a resource for you. Don’t forget that we will have a prize drawing every quarter for a chance to win an Amazon gift card for those who complete the knowledge check. The training can be completed in less than 10 minutes and provides a great overview of the donation process and the key role that you play. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this training and share it with your colleagues. Access the module here: mwtn.org/dmv

A newsletter for Midwest Transplant Network's frontline partners • 7

Mission Saving lives by honoring the gift of donation with dignity and compassion

1900 W. 47th Place, Suite 400 Westwood, KS 66205

Vision Leading organ and tissue donation through excellence, quality and partnerships

Follow Us /MidwestTransplantNetwork /MidwestTransplantNetwork /MidwestTransplantNetwork @MWTransplant Midwest Transplant Network

Upcoming Events Event Audience Key General MTN

August Aug. 1 – 31, 2022 • Multicultural Awareness Month Follow us on social media throughout the month of August as we share stories, provide education and look at MTN community outreach efforts celebrating the beautiful cultural diversity of our donation community.

Funeral Home & Medical Examiner Partners Hospital Partners Licensing, Treasury and Department of Revenue Partners

View all upcoming events: mwtn.org/events

September Sept. 1 – 30, 2022 • National DMV Appreciation Month National DMV Appreciation Month recognizes the vital role our licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue partners play in helping save and heal lives. Thank you for being our front-line champions, committed to asking the donor registration question to customers every day. For more information: donatelife.net/dmv-month