MTN Staff Make an Impact at NATCO

The 50th Annual Meeting of NATCO was attended by MTN staff February 23-26, along with hospital partners Abby Burstert, CICU Director, North Kansas City Hospital; Tracey Spurgeon, Executive Director, Critical Care, Mercy Hospital, Joplin; Nate Karch, Director of Nursing, University Hospital, Columbia and Kelsey Gebauer, Nurse Manager, SICU, The University of Kansas Health System. The landmark gathering offered donation and transplant professionals the opportunity to address today’s most pressing challenges and create innovative processes aiming to save more lives.

Taylor Brookins, Director, Family Services, said, “NATCO provides amazing opportunities to connect with colleagues from other organ procurement organizations. It is an opportunity to learn from each other and continue to grow as professionals and as an organization.”

Brookins, a member of the NATCO pre-conference planning committee, also presented several topics:

• Finding an approach model that works for you (Preparing for different types of approaches)

• How to rock FPA DCD (Working through FPA oppositions)

• How to create a supportive environment that gets a yes (Authorization AOCs, decline reviews, ongoing trainings)

• Essential guide to interviewing and onboarding (Finding the right fit)

During the full conference, MTN staff members presented multiple topics:

• Hospital Engagement: Kyle Petersen, Hospital Services Coordinator, “Adapting Education to Fit Changing Stakeholder Needs”

• Procurement: Chelsea Willems, Organ Procurement Coordinator, “Expedited Lung Placement on the Unstable Donor”

• Hospital Engagement: Lori Markham, Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer; Lisa Heideman, Hospital Services Coordinator; Janet Maxey, Family Services Coordinator II; Lexi Morse-Murphy, Organ Procurement Coordinator II, and Kyle Petersen, Hospital Services Coordinator III, “Collaborating to Honor a Special Donor”

“The NATCO meeting was a great experience to attend with our hospital partners,” said Lori Markham, RN, MSN, CCRN, Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer. “We were able to learn together, as well as discuss strategies that we can implement together to honor our donor heroes and save more lives.”

NATCO is a professional organization that is committed to the advancement of organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. The organization promotes and enhances the relationship between donation and transplantation.

NATCO members improve their skills and gain experience through the sharing of knowledge and best practices with other professionals.