Excellence in Donation Awards

In April, Midwest Transplant Network recognized partners in saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation by presenting the annual Excellence in Donation Awards to hospitals, individuals and organizations in our communities.

Based on donation outcomes from the previous year, MTN presents awards for excellence in organ and tissue donation to hospitals with a higher-than-average number of families granting authorization for donation. MTN also gives awards to exceptional partners in hospitals, licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue offices, medical examiner offices, funeral homes and to individuals or groups who make an extraordinary contribution to MTN’s lifesaving mission.

MTN commissioned special artwork from local Kansas City artist, Jenny Meyer-McCall, to create awards representing Gretchen’s Garden for Heroes at MTN. The garden is a place of quiet reflection and hope, named in honor of Gretchen Gosch, a beloved MTN staff member who gave the ultimate gift of life. The awards honor Gretchen and all the donor heroes the garden helps us remember.

Midwest Transplant Network recognized the following:

Organ and tissue excellence:

AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, Centerpoint Medical Center, Overland Park Regional Medical Center, Stormont Vail Health, Salina Regional Health Center, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, Lee’s Summit Medical Center, CommonSpirit St. Catherine Hospital-Garden City, Mercy Hospital Pittsburg, Inc. and Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

Organ excellence:

Mosaic Life Care and Select Specialty Hospital-Kansas City.

Tissue excellence:

Saint Luke’s Hospital, Providence Medical Center, The University of Kansas Health System, Mercy Hospital Joplin, Freeman Health System, Menorah Medical Center, Saint Luke’s East Hospital, Capital Region Medical Center, Olathe Medical Center, Ascension Via Christi Hospital Manhattan, William Newton Hospital and Johnson County Medical Examiner.

Individual and group honorees:

Kim Harbur, Director of Education, Gift of Life Kansas City; Kelsey Gebauer, MSN, MBA, RN, CCRN, Nurse Manager, Surgical/Trauma ICU at The University of Kansas Health System; HCA Midwest Critical Care Educators Ashley Bearkheimer, MSN, RN, CCRN, Centerpoint Medical Center; April Rock, BSN, RN, Overland Park Regional Medical Center; Sarah Fike, BSN, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN, Research Medical Center and Katrina Sanders, BSN, RN, HCA MidAmerica Division; Gary Dixon, Midwest Transplant Network volunteer Ambassador; Janelle Williamson, MS, APRN, NP-C, ACHPN, FPCN, Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, Stormont Vail Health; Arielle Steinle, EMP-T, Paramedic, Butler County EMS and Captain Kathleen (Katie) Yarsulik, Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.