Donation Connection: Quarter 4, 2022

DONATION Connection

A newsletter for our frontline partners

DCU Opening and Garden Dedication

We are pleased to share that our state-of-the-art Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit (DCU) is now open. Five years ago, Midwest Transplant Network (MTN) saw the need for in-house organ donor care and organ recovery. Since then, our staff members and partners have worked diligently to design and construct the DCU; educate our hospital and community partners; and train our staff on new processes and equipment. We look forward to providing highly specialized care in the DCU for years to come.

Alongside the DCU, we also opened a new outdoor space designed specifically for donor family members. We dedicated Gretchen’s Garden for Heroes on Sept. 24. This beautiful, peaceful garden is lovingly named after Gretchen Gosch, an MTN colleague who donated tissues to those in need after passing away. Gretchen provided expert care to families as a Family Services Coordinator, and she is remembered for her warm, bubbly personality and bright smile. (Continued on page 2)

DCU Opening and Garden Dedication

Continued from page 1

Visitors to the garden will find artwork by three talented artists, Rita Blitt, Hector E. Garcia and Marla Byrne. Blitt’s “Relating with Love” is a metal sculpture featuring interconnected shapes that illustrate the relationship between donors, recipients and their loved ones. The Kansas City Parade of Hearts featured Garcia's “Kansas City, the Midwest Charm,” and we are now proud to display the work in its permanent home within the garden. The piece prominently features a butterfly, a commonly used symbol of new life and donation, as well as swirls — which are part of the National Organ Donation Symbol, representing the circle of life. Susan Gosch donated “Rosary Stepping Stone” by Byrne in honor of her daughter Gretchen Gosch.

Gretchen’s Garden for Heroes is in front of MTN’s headquarters building at 1900 W. 47th Place in Westwood, Kansas. While created for donor families to have an open space to honor and remember their loved ones, the garden is open to the public.

Rose Parade Honoree

Midwest Transplant Network selects a donor hero each year to honor on a national stage in the Donate Life Rose Parade® float. The float features floragraphs — portraits made entirely of organic materials such as nuts, seeds, coffee grounds, etc. — of people impacted by organ, eye and tissue donation.

Our 2023 honoree is Zach Mendoza, an organ donor from Wichita, Kansas. Zach’s parents remember him as being sweet, kind, tender and loyal.

“He had that gift of a personality that people loved and gravitated toward,” Zach’s father, Joe Rodriguez, said.

Since Zach passed away, Joe and his wife, Lisa Mendoza-Rodriguez, have found immense comfort knowing that Zach’s legacy lives on through his recipients.

“Zach would have been happy that others have life because of him,” said Joe.

Mark your calendars for the morning of Jan. 2, 2023, to watch the Rose Parade® and see floragraphs of Zach and other selfless donor heroes from around the country.

1 Millionth Transplant

The U.S. organ donation system surpassed 1 million organ transplants as of Sept. 9. All of us at MTN are grateful for your collaboration, innovation and passion for making it possible. Donor heroes from MTN’s donor service area have contributed to over 32,000 transplants since our inception in 1972.

Medical Examiner Spotlight:

Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office

MTN’s 50th Anniversary

In October 1972, a meeting of the chiefs of nephrology and transplant surgeons from four Kansas City-area hospitals resulted in an agreement to establish centralized organ procurement. The following year, Midwest Organ Bank (MWOB) — now Midwest Transplant Network (MTN) — was incorporated as the second centralized organ procurement organization (OPO) in the U.S. and the first independently based nonprofit OPO.

As of October 2022, MTN has been saving and enhancing lives through donation for 50 years. We’re excited to celebrate the incredible work our partners and staff members have done together over half a century.

To learn more about MTN’s 50th anniversary, keep an eye on our website in the coming months: mwtn.org .

Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO) in Olathe, Kansas, opened its new office in June 2020. In 2019, the MEO began a campaign to educate hospice agencies, hospitals and law enforcement to ensure deaths were being properly reported. As a result of the outreach campaign, the number of deaths being reported to the MEO more than doubled from 2019 to 2020. Along with this increased number of referred deaths came an opportunity for increased tissue/eye donors. MTN and the MEO worked together to develop an electronic referral system for non-hospital reported deaths.

MTN received 313 referrals for organ and tissue recovery from Johnson County agencies in 2021. The Johnson County MEO referred 217 cases for postmortem tissue donation, comprising 69% of the total Johnson County referrals for the year. Of these 217 referrals, 33% of the decedents became postmortem tissue donors.

These tissue referrals resulted in 65 dermis donors, 53 bone donors, 32 cornea/eye donors and 28 heart valve donors. MTN values the partnership with Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office, as their continued support of donation provides lifesaving and healing gifts to thousands of grateful recipients each year.

Hospital Partner Education

About this newsletter

This 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.

ICU/ED/OR Corner: Two types of organ donation, two different processes Donation after brain death

Donation after brain death is defined as a deceased donor who has suffered complete and irreversible cessation of the entire brain, including brain stem, is mechanically ventilated and still has a beating heart.

Upon a nurse’s or physician’s assessment, these patients will no longer have any neurological (brain stem) reflexes indicated by:

• Loss of pupils

• Loss of corneal reflex

• Loss of cough upon endotracheal tube suctioning

• Loss of gag upon stimulation

Contact Us

For more information or questions, call 913-262-1668, email info@mwtn.org or visit mwtn.org

/MidwestTransplantNetwork

/MidwestTransplantNetwork

/MidwestTransplantNetwork

@MWTransplant

Midwest Transplant Network

• Loss of pain reflex OR posturing

• Loss of respiratory effort

• Absence of any seizure activity or legitimate electroencephalogram activity

At this time, the attending physician should complete an assessment to confirm the diagnosis of death by neurologic criteria (brain death). This assessment typically includes a clinical exam and an apnea test in accordance with the American Academy of Neurology guidelines and your facility’s policy on brain death. One of the following ancillary tests may also be included:

• EEG

• Cerebral blood flow test or nuclear flow study

• Four-vessel angiography

• Transcranial Doppler

Once brain death is confirmed, this becomes the legal time of death on the death certificate. The patient will remain on artificial/mechanical support if they are an authorized donor. MTN’s clinical team then assumes care of the patient after authorization and through the time of organ procurement. Eligible, stable donors will be transferred to MTN’s Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit in the Kansas City metro once all hospital-based procedures have been completed. MTN’s clinical coordinator will continue to respond on-site following authorization to begin the transfer process with the assistance of the bedside nurse.

Donation after circulatory death (DCD)

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) is defined as organ donation in patients who do not meet brain death criteria and are anticipated to reach asystole within 120 minutes of withdrawal of ventilatory support. This timeframe may be extended in specific cases. DCD can only occur after a family has made a firm decision to withdraw mechanical and pharmacological support. These donor heroes will remain at the hospital for organ recovery.

• Prior to shifting to comfort care, the patient must meet certain eligibility criteria upon assessment by MTN.

• Following eligibility determination, MTN will collaborate with hospital physicians and staff members to determine next steps for the organ donation discussion with the patient’s family.

• Following authorization for DCD, the hospital’s attending physician continues direct care for the patient while collaborating with MTN.

• Organ procurement occurs following pronouncement of circulatory standstill after ventilatory support is withdrawn, provided the patient expires within the necessary timeframes.

• DCD is less common than donation after brain death, occurring in about 40% of MTN’s organ case activity.

Please remember to call MTN at 800-366-6791 within one hour or less (per your hospital policy) when your patient meets ANY of the following criteria:

• Mechanically ventilated with a severe brain injury OR a devastating illness

• Glasgow Coma Scale ≤ 5

• Not expected to survive terminal extubation (e.g., pulmonary disease, high cord injury or ALS)

• Family or medical team has initiated discussion of a shift toward comfort care decisions

DCU Opens, Cares For First Donor Hero

At the beginning of September, MTN was honored to provide specialized care for the very first donor hero at our new DCU. Many thanks to the incredible donor families, hospital partners and transplant teams who have made this a possibility for future donors, recipients and their families.

Tissue: Uses and Story

Adapted from MTF Biologics

Turia Pitt, a former model, fitness enthusiast and mining engineer, was caught in a brush fire in the Australian outback while competing in a 100 km ultramarathon in 2011. The 24 year old was helicoptered out of the remote desert, barely alive, with horrific burns to 65% of her body. Unable to find the donated skin needed to save her life in Australia, her doctors turned to the United States, where MTF Biologics provided Turia with the lifesaving gift of skin. Today, Turia’s indomitable spirit and passion inspires people around the world, and she is a motivational speaker, endurance athlete and mother.

MTN is proud to support and partner with our tissue/eye partners in providing lifesaving and life-enhancing gifts as we honor our donor heroes.

Thank you for calling MTN within 60 minutes of asystole for ALL deaths, regardless of age, circumstance (e.g., COVID-19, cancer, etc.), coroner/ medical examiner involvement, previous imminent referral, etc. Your timely communication preserves donation options for patients, families and those awaiting a lifesaving or life-enhancing gift.

T-Shirt Orders

Be on the lookout in next month for our next T-shirt order. We are creating a new design to help celebrate Midwest Transplant Network’s 50th anniversary. We will send an email to all offices with the link to order shirts. If your office contact information has changed, please contact Donor Designation Coordinator Elizabeth GonzalesManns: egonzales@mwtn.org .

Message of Gratitude

On behalf of Midwest Transplant Network, I want to express my sincere gratitude for all your work in support of organ, eye and tissue donation. All of us at MTN know you ask donation-related questions with every customer interaction, and that work makes a world of a difference for those in need of lifesaving or life-enhancing transplants. You play a very important role in the donation process, and we are thankful for all you do.

Sarah Oland, LMSW Chief Stakeholder Engagement Officer Midwest Transplant Network

DMV Appreciation Month Winners

One of our favorite events to celebrate each year is National DMV Appreciation Month. We cannot thank all of our licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue partners enough for their support of this lifesaving mission. We hope you received the package we recently sent to your office, which included a gift for each of your staff members and some donation-related materials.

Part of our month-long celebration includes a decorating contest. Congratulations to Jackson County Treasurer’s Office (top photo) and Rice County Treasurer’s Office (bottom photo) for winning the most Facebook votes! We were happy to provide lunch for your offices.

Supply Requests for Events

We appreciate your ongoing support and advocacy around our service area. Many offices have requested materials for their local festivals and community gatherings. We would like to continue to support these awareness opportunities and ensure that we have adequate supplies on hand. If you plan to request items for any community events in 2023, please submit your request by Nov. 11: mwtn.org/dmv-request . We will continue to do our best to fill requests that are received after this date. Your requests help us plan our promotional item orders.

Join Our Facebook Group

Did you know that there is a Facebook group just for our licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue partners? We share donation connection stories, pertinent donation information and fun contests or prize opportunities. If you have not already joined You Are Key at the DMV, you will want to check it out: facebook.com/groups/youarekey

Virtual Education Module

Thank you to all who have completed the virtual education module. We continue to draw winners every quarter, so be sure to check out this informative virtual session. Education provided will help answer some of the most common donation-related questions regarding the important role you play in the donation process.

Complete the module here: mwtn.org/dmv

You Are Key Awards

Congratulations to the following winners of the 2022 You Are Key Awards for your commitment to the lifesaving and life-enhancing mission of organ, eye and tissue donation. We appreciate your continued advocacy and community engagement around donation.

• Katelin Sprecker

Kansas Department of Revenue

• Jackson County

Treasurer’s Office

Jackson County, Kansas

• Belton Driver License Office

Belton, Missouri

• Tami Sherman

Hartville License Office

Hartville, Missouri

• Shannon Ellerman

Driver’s License Office

Atchison, Kansas

• Christine Smith

Kansas County Treasurers Association

• Delbert Thomas

Driver’s License Office

Lawrence, Kansas

• Dawn Brown Driver License Exam Station

Concordia, Kansas

Mission

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

Vision

Leading organ and tissue donation through excellence, quality and partnerships

Contact Us

For more information or questions, call 913-262-1668 or visit mwtn.org

Follow Us

/MidwestTransplantNetwork

/MidwestTransplantNetwork

/MidwestTransplantNetwork

@MWTransplant

Midwest Transplant Network

Upcoming Events

Event Audience Key

General MTN

Funeral Home & Medical Examiner Partners

Hospital Partners

Licensing, Treasury and Department of Revenue Partners

View all upcoming events: mwtn.org/events

November

Nov. 11 – 13, 2022

• National Donor Sabbath

Faith leaders from many religions, donor families, transplant recipients, and donation and transplantation professionals participate in services and programs to educate the public about the need for the lifesaving and healing gifts passed to others through transplantation, while also encouraging people to register their decision to be organ, eye and tissue donors.

For more information: mwtn.org/nds

January

Jan. 2, 2023

• Donate Life Float at the Rose Parade®

The Donate Life community will feature a float in the Rose Parade. The 2023 float, called “Lifting Each Other Up,” will include a floragraph of Wichita, Kansas, donor hero Zach Mendoza. Don’t miss the Donate Life Rose Parade® float in the Rose Parade on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, airing on ABC, NBC and Univision.

For more information: donatelifefloat.org