Donation Connection: Quarter 1, 2023

DONATION Connection

A newsletter for our frontline partners

Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation Programming on Feb. 14

In This Issue

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, for Songs From the Heart, Midwest Transplant Network’s annual partnership with Kansas City-based NPR music station The Bridge. The all-day programming will feature stories about people impacted by organ, eye and tissue donation. These special conversations will inspire hope on National Donor Day, which is celebrated each year on Feb. 14. Listen in the Kansas City area on 90.9 FM or from anywhere online at bridge909.org

Preparing for National Donate Life Month

National Donate Life Month (NDLM) is just around the corner. Observed in April each year, the observance helps raise awareness about donation, encourage people to join the donor registry, and honor those who have saved and enhanced lives through the gift of donation. We look forward to celebrating this April with our professional and community partners; donor families; volunteer Ambassadors; staff members; and beyond.

Be on the lookout for Midwest Transplant Network coffee sleeves throughout April in area hospitals. Don’t forget to take a picture with your brew and share on social media, tagging Midwest Transplant Network and using #GiveHopeShareLife.

Hospital partners: If you haven’t already, we encourage you to start planning NDLM activities. Contact your Hospital Services Coordinator for more information.

Local Connections to Rose Parade®

MTN and many of our partners were represented in the 134th Rose Parade on Jan. 2, 2023. Each year, MTN sponsors the Donate Life Rose Parade® float, which features floragraphs — portraits made entirely of organic materials — honoring organ, eye and tissue donors. MTN’s 2023 honoree, Zach Mendoza, was a 25 year old from Wichita, Kansas, who donated his organs after passing away in 2019. Zach’s parents, Joe Rodriguez and Lisa Mendoza-Rodriguez, traveled to Pasadena, California, to put the finishing touches on the float and attend the parade.

Commitment to Excellence in Saving and Enhancing Lives

Recently, governmental committees have raised concerns about the performance of organ procurement organizations (OPOs). While the system certainly can and should improve, we can reassure you that people in Kansas and western Missouri are in excellent hands with MTN and our partner hospitals.

In 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ranked MTN No. 2 for organ donation rates as compared to the 56 other OPOs and No. 3 for transplant rates. These figures are based on 2020 data — the most updated data available today. None of this would be possible without the selflessness of donors and donor families as well as steadfast commitment from our many professional and community partners: hospitals; transplant centers; funeral homes; medical examiners; licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue offices; and beyond. Despite our position as one of the nation’s top-performing OPOs, we continually strive to improve our performance.

To that end, we opened a Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit (DCU) this September after carefully researching and planning over the last five years. Moving donors to the DCU improves outcomes for transplant recipients and minimizes the burden on hospitals and transplant centers by freeing up ICU beds, ventilators and critical care staff to care for other patients.

In addition to Zach’s floragraph, many of our hospital and licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue partners wrote special messages on rose vials that were used on the Donate Life float. Thank you to all who dedicated vials in support of organ, eye and tissue donation, and thanks to everyone who contributes to MTN’s important mission each day.

MTN also regularly pursues advancements in donation processes, including recovering organs from those who can become donors after circulatory death (DCD) — a more intensive procurement process than for those who can donate after brain death. MTN has long been strategically focused on a robust DCD program; in 2021, DCD patients accounted for 35% of all our organ donor heroes.

Although we are proud of the work MTN does alongside our great partners, we will always work to improve our processes and outcomes on behalf of the 105,000+ people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant nationwide — 2,200+ of whom are in Kansas and Missouri.

Lisa Mendoza-Rodriguez and Joe Rodriguez

Maximizing the Gift of Life

With your strong support, Midwest Transplant Network continued saving and enhancing more lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in 2022. From asking donation-related questions for the First Person Authorization registry to sharing timely patient referrals to showing care and respect for donors after they gave the gift of life, you play a crucial role in honoring legacies. Thank you for all you do!

Register Now for Donate Life Legacy Walk

Registration for our seventh annual Donate Life Legacy Walk is now open! We hope you will join us on Saturday, June 3, for an evening event featuring live music, food trucks and fun for the whole family. This free community event celebrates the gift of life while raising awareness about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation.

Register today: mwtn.org/legacy-walk

You Are Key Award: Reflections Memorial Services LLC

Reflections Memorial Services of Kansas City, Missouri, has been a great supporter of organ, eye and tissue donors and their families since Josh Dukes opened the organization on Westport Road in 2011. Josh Dukes and Jake Dukes consistently display a spirit of compassion and helpfulness to the families they serve. In recognition of their commitment to donation and excellence in family care, Midwest Transplant Network was pleased to present them with a You Are Key Award. This award is given to select partners to recognize their efforts in going above and beyond to care for families as well as their support in saving and enhancing lives through the gift of organ, eye and tissue donation.

MTN Funeral Home, Medical Examiner & Coroner Liaison Brad Marten has the pleasure of working with Reflections Memorial Services and other funeral home, medical examiner and coroner offices. He facilitates communication and relationships between these stakeholders with the goal of working together to honor every donation opportunity. Brad has over 25 years of experience in the funeral industry and is a current member of the Donate Life America Funeral Home Liaison group, which works to promote the education of liaisons, embalmers and funeral directors across the United States.

Jake Dukes (left) and Josh Dukes of Reflections Memorial Services pose with their You Are Key Award

Hospital Partner Education

Clinical Triggers for Referral

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.

The potential for organ donation is only possible in ICU and ED settings with your help. It is important to recognize the clinical triggers that necessitate a call to MTN.

Please call MTN at 1-800-DONOR91 (1-800-366-6791) within 30 – 60 minutes (per your hospital policy) when your mechanically ventilated patient with any diagnosis meets any these criteria:

• GCS < 5, regardless of sedation, paralytics or hypothermia

• Neurologic injury or devastating illness of any kind

• A shift toward comfort or palliative care is anticipated

Please call immediately if any of the following occur (either before or after initial referral call):

Contact Us

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

/MidwestTransplantNetwork

/MidwestTransplantNetwork

/MidwestTransplantNetwork

@MWTransplant

Midwest Transplant Network

• Patient’s brain stem reflexes are absent

• Care team plans for brain death testing

• Care team/family anticipates end-of-life care (including plans to meet with family to discuss end-of-life options)

• Family member initiates donation discussion

You can also find this information on MTN’s clinical trigger badge card. Our badge cards outline the referral criteria for a potential organ donor, regardless of mode of injury or illness. They include calling MTN with plans of introducing comfort care options to family since donation is no longer an option after a patient has been extubated.

Need a badge card?

Please email info@mwtn.org or contact your Hospital Services Coordinator.

Emergency Department: Your Role in Organ Donation

Did you know?

• 17% of all organ donors in the MTN service area were initially referred from the emergency department (ED).

• Referral from the ED is associated with an increased likelihood of organ recovery and increased organs transplanted per donor. 1

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations require hospitals to notify OPOs of all ventilator-dependent patients with severe brain injuries before discontinuing life support measures.

• CMS also requires hospitals to make the referral in a timely manner, which is within 30 – 60 minutes (per your hospital policy) of meeting potential organ donor referral triggers.

When a ventilator-dependent patient has a non-survivable diagnosis or a suspected neurological injury, making the referral from the ED enables MTN to respond quickly to determine donation potential, support families and avoid a rushed approach for donation. If the injury is deemed non-survivable, the family may make the decision to move to comfort care before leaving the ED, and care may be decelerated prior to donation evaluation. Early referral and linkage from the ED allows collaboration between the care team, MTN and the family to ensure that organ viability is maintained and no donation opportunity is lost.

By the Numbers Our impact in 2022

MTN reached a major milestone in 2022, opening and transferring donors to our new DCU starting in September. Thanks to the generosity of our donor heroes and their families as well as strong partnerships with area hospitals, we enabled 972 organ transplants in 2022 from 361 donors.

DCU Impact

Sept. 1 - Dec. 31, 2022

49 donor heroes

166 organs transplanted

22 hospitals

Total Organs Transplanted

Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2022

99 hearts

134 lungs

Online Donation Education Module

We encourage you to complete the general organ, eye and tissue education module on our website if you have not done so already. Following the conclusion of the 19-minute video, you will be instructed to click on a quiz link located below the video on the webpage to complete the education requirement. MTN maintains a record of those who have completed the module and can provide it to your facility by request. Thank you for your engagement and commitment to donation education.

Complete the module: mwtn.org/hospital-education

213 livers

26 pancreata

498 kidneys

2 intestines

We appreciate all you did to make these lifesaving and life-enhancing gifts possible.

1 Miller, Lisabeth D., et al. “Emergency Department Referral for Organ Donation: More Organ Donors and More Organs per Donor.” The American Journal of Surgery, 2014 , pp. 728–734.

National Donate Life Month Plans and Spirit Week

April is National Donate Life Month, and we invite your office to join us in participating in the National Donate Life Month Spirit Week. Be sure to take pictures and submit your entries into the contests hosted by Donate Life America.

Find the full week overview: mwtn.org/blue-green

National Donor Day

National Donor Day is coming up on Feb. 14. We invite all offices to join us again in finding a creative and engaging way of honoring your local donor heroes. Set up your display and submit a picture to mwtn.org/dmvcontest by the end of business on Feb. 14. Midwest Transplant Network will provide all participating offices with treats.

Virtual Education/Training

Thank you to everyone who has completed our virtual training thus far. This fiveminute training module provides a quick and informative overview of organ, eye, and tissue donation and covers the most commonly asked questions. There is a short knowledge-check quiz at the end of the training. We will enter those who complete the training and knowledge check into a quarterly drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card.

Complete the module now: mwtn.org/dmv

Promotional Item Request Link

To help ensure that we are responding to your requests as quickly as possible, please submit any materials requests — such as educational brochures, window clings, posters, hand sanitizer, lip balm and more — by filling out the form at mwtn.org/dmv.

Office Donation Connections and Successes

You Are Key at the DMV Facebook Group

We appreciate those of you who are connected with us via our You Are Key at the DMV Facebook group. This is a place where we share donation-related stories and important information for our licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue partners. If you are not currently a member of the group, we invite you and your office staff to join. Visit facebook.com/groups/youarekey and select “Join group” to be added.

Share Your Stories With Us

We would like to highlight the donation connection stories that exist throughout our licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue offices. Please reach out to Elizabeth Gonzales-Manns, Donor Designation Coordinator, if you are interested in sharing your donation connection story: egonzales@mwtn.org .

At Midwest Transplant Network, we are honored to work alongside our licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue partners in this lifesaving mission. We have seen the creative and dedicated efforts you make throughout our service area, and we want to be able to highlight all of the great things you are doing. This is your chance to shine! Reach out to Donor Designation Coordinator Elizabeth Gonzales-Manns at egonzales@mwtn.org to tell us about your creative projects and community engagement efforts raising awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation. We look forward to hearing about all the great things you are doing.

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

February

Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m. or Friday, Feb. 10, at 10 a.m. • 2023

National Donate Life Month Promotional Materials Kickoff Webinar

Join MTN’s Community Engagement & Public Relations team to learn more about free resources for use during National Donate Life Month. For more information: mwtn.org/ndlm-webinar

Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023 • Songs From the Heart

Tune in to The Bridge on National Donor Day from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. to hear stories about people impacted by organ, eye and tissue donation. For more information: bridge909.org

April

Friday, April 14, 2023 • National Donate Life Blue & Green Day

View all upcoming events: mwtn.org/events

Wear blue and green and share the importance of registering as a donor. For more information: donatelife.net/blue-green-day

June

Saturday, June 3, 2023 • Donate Life Legacy Walk

Join us for the seventh annual walk. Registration is free! Celebrate the gift of life with live music, food trucks and more.

For more information: mwtn.org/legacy-walk