For the first time in Midwest Transplant Network (MTN) history, we facilitated the recovery and transplantation of 1,075 organs in a single year. We are grateful for the generosity of donor heroes and their families for making the choice to give the gift of hope and share life. We are grateful to our partners and staff for your dedication in helping MTN save lives each day.
This moment in our history belongs to all of you. How do we acknowledge a milestone as significant as 1,075 organ transplants? We say thank you but there is so much more.
We appreciate each person who made the decision to join the organ, eye and tissue donor registry. MTN is dedicated to the mission of saving lives by honoring the gift of organ, eye and tissue donation with dignity and compassion.
We are partners with hospitals and health professionals throughout our service area who know that we are here to provide care in the best interests of patients and families. We are committed to caring, integrity and high-quality care for every donor hero patient and their family.
For all the lives saved through organ donation and transplantation, there are stories of gratitude, hope, new chances, and of course, milestones.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and MTN Leadership, THANK YOU for your work and your impact to help MTN reach this moment in our history. You may not realize the impact of what you do every day, but trust me, it is there and it’s why we are acknowledging this milestone moment.
*Excluding organs donated for research
Preparing for National Donate Life Month
National Donate Life Month (NDLM) will be here soon. It is observed in April each year and raises awareness about donation, encourages people to join the donor registry, and honors 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.
Hospital partners: We will offer a webinar highlighting NDLM assets again this year for hospital public relations, communications and marketing staff members. If you have not yet registered, you may do so now by visiting mwtn.org/ndlm-webinar
We encourage you to start planning NDLM activities. Contact your Hospital Services Coordinator for more information.
2025 Donate Life Legacy Walk
Circle the date! Midwest Transplant Network will host the Donate Life Legacy Walk on Saturday, June 7, 2025, from 6-9 p.m. at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri.
The free community event is a celebration and remembrance of organ, eye and tissue donation. It’s a memorable experience for donor hero families, transplant recipients, living donors, hospital partners and the many, many people who are impacted by organ, eye and tissue donation.
There will be live music, food trucks to purchase snacks, Tribute Trail signs to honor donor heroes and transplant warriors, a bubble remembrance ceremony, and of course, making new memories for families.
What’s different in 2025? The Donate Life Legacy Walk will be in a new spot on the grounds. We’ll be on the south lawn near the softball fields. More details to come.
Learn more and register today: mwtn.org/legacy-walk
MTN’s Impactful Community Engagement
In 2024, Midwest Transplant Network continued to experience growth in outreach and community engagement efforts. With nearly 900 hours dedicated to training, tabling, and public speaking events, MTN reached more than 9,000 community members across Kansas and western Missouri with the message of the gift of life through organ, eye and tissue donation.
MTN’s commitment to engaging diverse audiences continued through partnerships and participation in events like Telemundo Kansas City’s health fair, the Kansas City Juneteenth Heritage Festival, PRIDE Fest and more. During these community events, MTN’s Community Engagement and Ambassador teams worked to change misconceptions, build trust and encourage people to become registered donors.
These impactful efforts underscore MTN’s mission to save and enhance lives while fostering deeper connections within the communities it serves. The personal stories shared by Ambassadors — donor families, recipients and advocates — bring the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation to life, creating lasting impressions and encouraging others to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor.
Will your hospital host a community or health fair event that MTN should be present? We’d love to hear from you! Contact Nichole Asquith, Community Engagement Coordinator, at nasquith@mwtn.org to share your suggestions and help MTN continue spreading awareness and hope.
MTN’s Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit Marks Second Anniversary
What it means for saving and enhancing more lives
“
We have discovered it’s a gift,” said Lori Markham, Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Midwest Transplant Network. The gift is the MTN Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit (DCU) which observed its second year of providing expert care to donor heroes in September 2024.
MTN’s DCU opened Sept. 1, 2022, after more than five years of research, planning, preparation and training on the processes and technology associated with an in-house facility. In the past two years, with support from many hospital, professional and community partners, MTN has cared for 290 donor patients1 from 29 area hospitals in the MTN world-class DCU. These donor heroes provided 960 lifesaving organs to those waiting for a second chance.
MTN’s DCU is a model for other organ procurement organizations (OPOs) across the country who are building donor care units or remodeling in their current space.
Out of 56 OPOs in the U.S., MTN is the 12th organization with a donor care and surgical recovery center that is not based in a hospital. Creating the DCU is one of many tactics MTN has taken to improve donation outcomes.
1 All DCU data pulled from Sept. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2024.
Rose Parade Wrap-Up
MTN was honored to co-sponsor the 2025 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade ® float. The float serves as one of the largest public displays of support for the gift of life through organ, eye and tissue donation each year.
The 2025 float received the Extraordinaire award, given to the most extraordinary float in the parade. MTN sponsored one of the 26 donor hero floragraphs in appreciation of Sturgeon, Missouri, organ donor Joe Hecht. Hecht’s family, including his two daughters, wife and mother traveled to Pasadena to honor Joe and participate in festivities.
KCKCC Mortuary Science Students
Visit MTN
In December, MTN welcomed soonto-be graduates from the mortuary science program at Kansas City Kansas Community College for a tour. All of these students have jobs and will work at funeral homes in our service area. The students learned from our clinical and educational staff about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation and how they are MTN’s valued partners in giving hope and sharing life.
MTN wishes them well as they start their career journeys!
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.
Clinical Triggers ICU/ED/OR Corner
Clinical Triggers for Potential Organ Donor Referrals
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 60 minutes (per your hospital policy) if your patient meets the following criteria.
All mechanically ventilated patients with:
• A GCS < 5, regardless of sedation, paralytics, hypothermia OR
• Neurologic injury or devastating injury OR
• A shift toward comfort or palliative care decisions is anticipated.
Contact Us
For more information or questions, call 913-262-1668, email info@mwtn.org or visit mwtn.org
By the Numbers
Total Organs Transplanted Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2024
Clinical Updates
for
Current or New Organ Donor Referrals
Please call immediately if ANY of the following occur (either before or after initial referral call):
• The care team/family anticipates end-of-life care (including advanced notice of plans to meet with family to discuss end-of-life options),
• The patient’s neuro reflexes are absent,
• The care team plans for brain death testing or
• A family member initiates a donation discussion.
You can also find this information on MTN’s clinical trigger badge card.
Need a Badge Card?
Please email info@mwtn.org or contact your Hospital Services Coordinator (HSC).
Emergency Department: Your Role in Organ Donation
Did you know?
• 14% 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 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.
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.
It’s That Time of Year Again — Mortality Data
Now that the new year is here, it is time for annual donation performance reports.
Please send your hospital’s mortality data for Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2024, by Feb. 7, via secure email or fax to your HSC.
If you need assistance with a secure email or if you’re not sure who your HSC is, please email info@mwtn.org
NRP Recap
As Midwest Transplant Network (MTN) remains committed to working with our hospital partners to improve outcomes for the 100,000+ patients on the national transplant waiting list and to maximize the gifts of each donor hero, we are honored to share with you the impact made by using the Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP) surgical recovery method.
In Donation After Circulatory Death (DCD) donors, NRP recovery increases the likelihood that the heart can be transplanted, significantly decreases delayed kidney graft function from 40% to as little as 12% and increases liver utilization rate to 45% from the previous 20%. As of Oct. 1, 2024, we began partnering with our transplant centers and SpecialtyCare perfusion services to facilitate NRP recoveries for eligible DCD cases in participating hospitals.
Since this time, MTN has facilitated two Thoracic-Abdominal NRP (TANRP) cases and 24 Abdominal NRP (A-NRP) cases. Of these cases two hearts, 10 livers and 34 kidneys were recovered for transplant. On average, the organs were on the modified ECMO circuit used in NRP for one hour and 22 minutes.
Many of these lifesaving gifts would not have been possible without the use of NRP. We are grateful for your partnership in helping to implement this transformative organ recovery method that will undoubtedly save more lives.
If you would like to request additional training on NRP please reach out to your assigned HSC.
“Let Life Sing” During National Donate Life Month
In March, you will receive a box with printed materials, swag and treats for your office to participate in National Donate Life Month. We want to offer another opportunity to get your creativity going. Show us how your office “Lets Life Sing.” Please submit your pictures by EOB on Friday, April 11, to MTN’s Donor Designation Coordinator Jessica Cleary at jcleary@mwtn.org . We will post your creative efforts and allow our Facebook followers the opportunity to vote for their favorite. As in the past, we will have one winner for the office that services a population of more than 50,000 and one winner for our smaller offices.
If your office would like to have one of our MTN Ambassadors host a table during National Donate Life Month, please reach out to jcleary@mwtn.org or nasquith@mwtn.org
Blue & Green Spirit Week (April 5-12, 2025):
Brag on Your Team
We know that your team is hard at work, and some days you just want to give them a shout out. How is your team supporting organ, eye and tissue donation? Is someone a donor, recipient or strong advocate? We welcome the opportunity to highlight how our licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue partners contribute to this lifesaving mission. This is your chance to brag. Send your notes, stories or anything you want us to know to jcleary@mwtn.org . We look forward to hearing about all of the wonderful things you are doing.
Education and Training Opportunities for DMVs
Midwest Transplant Network is grateful for the opportunity to provide education and training for DMV partners, both large and small. It begins with a short, informal presentation about the work and mission of MTN, and how our DMV partners contribute to the hope that we are able to give to donor families and recipients alike. There is always time for questions to allow for meaningful conversations about organ, eye and tissue donation.
We would like to continue these opportunities in 2025 and travel to your DMV, license, tag or treasury office for a staff meeting or new hire training. If in-person is not feasible, we are happy to schedule a time that we can meet virtually to help provide answers to any questions your staff may have.
Please reach out to Donor Designation Coordinator Jessica Cleary at jcleary@mwtn.org with any dates you may have in mind for the coming year, or as you find you could use her assistance.
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
1900
February
Friday, Feb. 14 • Songs From the Heart and National Donor Day
Tune in to 90.9 FM in Kansas City or listen online from anywhere from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. to hear stories about people who have been impacted by organ, eye and tissue donation.
For more information: bridge909.org
Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 9:30 a.m. or Thursday, Feb. 20, at 2 p.m. • 2025 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
April
April 1 – 30 • National Donate Life Month
National Donate Life Month (NDLM) encourages Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and honors donor heroes.
For more information: donatelife.net/ndlm
June
Saturday, June 7 • Donate Life Legacy Walk
Join us for the ninth-annual Donate Life Legacy Walk and celebrate the gift of life with live music, food trucks and more. Registration is free!
