Donation Connection: Quarter 2, 2023

DONATION Connection

A newsletter for our frontline partners

In This Issue

National Volunteer Appreciation Week

In addition to National Donate Life Month, April includes National Volunteer Appreciation Week, which will fall on April 16 – 22, 2023. Our lifesaving and life-enhancing work would not be possible without our 101 volunteer Ambassadors who share the message of organ, eye and tissue donation in our community.

In 2022, our Ambassadors represented MTN at 73 community events — nearly twice the amount of outreach efforts compared to 2021. They donated 593 hours of their time serving our mission.

Ambassadors, thank you for everything you do in support of the gift of life! We are so grateful to know why donation matters to you, and we greatly appreciate your partnership.

Learn more about our Ambassador program: mwtn.org/ambassador

Our volunteer Ambassadors are integral in sharing MTN's lifesaving mission throughout our community. We are grateful that they dedicate their time, talent and passion to supporting organ, eye and tissue donation.

MTN Community Outreach

Did you know 90% of the U.S. population supports organ, eye and tissue donation, yet only 60% are registered to donate?

Midwest Transplant Network believes that community education and outreach is the most effective way to share our mission and the importance of donation, and we want to hear from you!

Please let us know of any business partners, faith leaders, professional organizations, etc. that you’re connected to that may want to discuss donation in some capacity.

Please send your contact ideas to our Community Engagement Coordinator, Nichole Asquith: nasquith@mwtn.org

Celebrating Half a Century of MTN

MTN kicked off celebrations for our 50th anniversary in October — 50 years after chiefs of nephrology and transplant surgeons from Kansas City hospitals established a centralized organ procurement system for our community. We’ll continue acknowledging this milestone throughout 2023 in recognition of the year in which we were incorporated and the lives saved over these 50 years.

Over our first five decades of history, we have made many advancements, including a sophisticated laboratory for donor testing and recipient matching, adding tissue procurement services, opening three satellite offices with dedicated staff members and most recently, the addition of our Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit (DCU). MTN leads the country in various performance measures with steadfast support from our hospital partners. Your commitment to our mission of saving lives by honoring the gift of organ and tissue donation with dignity and compassion enables more patients to receive a second chance at life each year.

We feel overwhelming gratitude for the lives we have honored and touched over half a century alongside our transplantation colleagues. We are thankful for the opportunities to engage with excellent teams from our donor hospitals and transplant centers. We have asked for patience and understanding as we changed processes following the opening of our DCU, and we appreciate all your efforts to make this exciting change possible. We look forward to continuing our work alongside you in 2023.

Learn more about MTN’s first 50 years: mwtn.org/timeline

Donate Life Legacy Walk

Registration and T-shirts

Registration for our 2023 Donate Life Legacy Walk is now open. We hope you will join us on Saturday, June 3, to celebrate organ, eye and tissue donation and those who gave the gift of life. This free event will start at 5:30 p.m. at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. We’ll have a live band, family-friendly activities, trucks with food available for purchase and more.

This year, it’s easier than ever to create a Legacy Walk team. After identifying a team captain and starting the registration process, select “yes” to join or create a team. From there, share your team name and encourage others to join when they register.

Registered walkers will receive an emailed link to our Legacy Walk T-shirt store. Please place your orders by Sunday, April 23 , to ensure delivery prior to the walk.

To learn more about the Legacy Walk and register as an individual or with a team, visit mwtn.org/legacy-walk .

MTN’s Annual Report

MTN and our partners had an impactful year: recovering organs with dignity and compassion from more than 350 donor heroes; connecting with individuals and organizations through 70+ community outreach events; and seeking to maximize every donation possibility alongside our transplant centers and hospital partners. You can learn more about these monumental milestones in our 2022 annual report.

Read more highlights from 2022: mwtn.org/annual-report

Ways for Funeral Homes to Celebrate National Donate Life Month and Honor Donors

April is National Donate Life Month, and MTN created a toolkit to help our hospital and community partners celebrate. The toolkit features many free resources, including social media graphics, posters, program templates, written materials and more. Find the toolkit on our website: mwtn.org/ndlm .

If you are interested in finding creative ways to help honor donors while also spreading the message about donation, please contact Brad Marten, our Funeral Home Liaison, for materials for your funeral home: bmarten@mwtn.org

Some examples of how funeral homes can display support for organ, eye and tissue donation

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.

What You Should Know About First Person Authorization and Gift Law

• First Person Authorization is a decision made at the licensing, treasury or Department of Revenue office; through the online registry; or through a legal document such as a living will, saying “yes” to organ, eye and/or tissue donation. This provides authorization for donation and is upheld by the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA).

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

• First Person Authorization is legally binding and does not require informed consent.

• No one in a donor’s family has legal standing to overturn this decision.

• MTN and our hospital partners are obligated to honor this legal decision.

• When you call MTN with a referral, the call center will check the registry for your patient’s registry status.

• When the time is appropriate, MTN will share registration status with a donor’s family.

• If a family asks about donation, please thank them for their generous thoughts, and let them know you’ll reach out to someone who can answer their questions. Then, call MTN at 1-800-366-6791

• Inform your own family if you’ve joined the donor registry so they know your decision.

• To join the organ, eye and tissue donor registry, please visit ShareLifeMidwest.com

Elements of the Effective Request Process

The Effective Request Process (ERP) is a nationally derived best practice that improves organ donation authorization outcomes. Each element should be in place before the MTN Family Services Coordinator approaches an eligible organ donor’s family in the ICU or ED.

Step 1

Step

2

Step

3

Timely imminent referral Huddle If patient meets criteria for brain death, declaration occurs before donation discussion OR family has made decision for comfort care

By the Numbers

Total Organs Transplanted

Jan. 1 - Feb. 28, 2023

13 hearts

Step

4

Plan followed or re-huddle if plan changes

While ERP is vital for all potential donor families, please consider donor heroes who have previously authorized their gift of organ donation. The donor’s family cannot change this decision. ERP is proven to be critical in compassionately supporting families through the donation process and honoring their loved one’s heroic decision to help others through the gift of organ donation.

2023 year-to-date data has shown that when ERP is followed, 68% of families say yes to donation compared to 58% when ERP is not followed.

Investigate Before You Extubate

MTN has expanded eligibility criteria for organ donors. To ensure every opportunity for organ donation is honored, please call MTN at 1-800-366-6791 with any anticipated shift to comfort care and always with advanced notice of a terminal or palliative extubation on all mechanically ventilated patients. This call is required regardless of age or diagnosis and will provide MTN sufficient time to determine donation eligibility. If eligible, MTN will collaborate with your hospital care team to facilitate the donation conversation with the family. Thank you for your time and support to save lives through organ donation.

11 lungs

29 livers

2 pancreata

69 kidneys

0 intestines

First-Time Organ Donor Hospitals

Congratulations to the following hospitals that recently provided care for their first organ donors — none of whom were in the First Person Authorization registry:

• Mercy Hospital Lebanon

Lebanon, Missouri

• Moberly Regional Medical Center

Moberly, Missouri

• University Health Lakewood Medical Center

Kansas City, Missouri

Clinical teams transplanted seven organs from these donors, saving and enhancing many lives.

T-shirt Store Opening in May

We were excited to roll out the new T-shirt design last November. Many offices placed their shirt orders for both short- and long-sleeved shirts. If you did not get to place your order or if you have new staff in need of a shirt, we will open the store again in May. We will share the link for the store toward the end of May, with the deliveries anticipated for June.

Legacy Walk Registration

There is still time to register yourself or your team for the Donate Life Legacy Walk, which will take place on Saturday, June 3. We look forward to seeing you there as we come together to support and celebrate this lifesaving mission of organ, eye and tissue donation.

Register today: mwtn.org/legacy-walk

DMV Virtual Education

We value your role in sharing the donation designation opportunity with your customers. We invite you to complete the online education module that shares about the donation process. This module provides a helpful overview for new employees or a refresher for those who are seasoned. At the completion of the training module, there is a short knowledge check. MTN will enter those who complete the module and knowledge check into a drawing for an Amazon gift card.

Complete the module now: mwtn.org/dmv

National Donor Day Displays

We are excited to celebrate the creative and thoughtful displays from several licensing and treasury offices. These offices took time to help celebrate the lives of donor heroes and the gifts those heroes shared. Thank you all for helping us honor donor heroes, recipients and the gift of life.

Promotional Item Request

If your office needs any printed or promotional materials, please complete the DMV Materials Request form on our website. We will send the requested items within two weeks. If you have any questions, please reach out to egonzales@mwtn.org . We appreciate your willingness to share these items at your office.

Request materials: mwtn.org/dmv

Share Your Donation Connection Stories

We know that there are various donation stories within our licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue community. We would like to share your donation story. If you are a donor family member, living donor, transplant recipient or recipient family member, please contact Donor Designation Coordinator Elizabeth Gonzales-Manns so that we can highlight your story: egonzales@mwtn.org.

Pictured above: 1. Maryville License Bureau; 2. Cloud County Driver License Office; 3. Rice County Treasurer’s Office; 4. Reno County DMV Office; 5. Jackson County Treasurer’s Office; 6. Kansas Department of Revenue Drivers License Office

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

April

Friday, April 14, 2023

• National Donate Life Blue & Green Day

During National Donate Life Blue & Green Day, the public is encouraged to wear blue and green and to engage in sharing the Donate Life message and promoting the importance of registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor. For more information: donatelife.net/blue-green-day

April 23 – 29, 2023

• National Pediatric Transplant Week

National Pediatric Transplant Week focuses on the powerful message of ending the pediatric transplant waitlist.

For more information: mwtn.org/pediatric-transplant-week

View all upcoming events: mwtn.org/events

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