Be Assured!
MTN’s Best Practices for Donor Heroes
In recent months, stories in the national media about organ donation and transplantation, patient safety incidents during organ recoveries, people removing themselves from the registry, Congressional hearings and lawsuits have felt overwhelming, but Midwest Transplant Network knows that every hospital partner is focused on doing the very best for every patient and family we serve together, and MTN supports your work.
Please be assured that MTN is always focused on ethical best practices in both business and clinical care for donor heroes and donor hero families.
MTN is among the top 10 organ procurement organizations in the nation, ranking No. 4 in organ donation and No. 7 in transplantation rates based on donor eligibility.
MTN is classified as a Tier 1A OPO, a top-rating by CMS based on the metrics established for all organ procurement organizations.
MTN has routine third-party audits for regulatory compliance and is very confident that financial billing practices are sound.
OPOs have shown 14 years of consecutive growth in organ donation across the U.S.
Organ donation is highly regulated by state and federal agencies to maintain strict standards of safety and accountability throughout the process. MTN’s policies ensure we are practicing in the safest manner.
Why is this important to hospital partners?
Organ donation is a sacred gift. Midwest Transplant Network takes very seriously any claims that erode public trust in the system. Our standardized best practices ensure safe, ethical and transparent care to donor heroes, donor hero families and hospital partners. (Continued on page 2)
Be Assured! MTN’s Best Practices for Donor Heroes (Continued from page 1)
MTN’s best practices acknowledge:
• The hospital is solely responsible for caring for patients prior to them being declared deceased, either by neurological criteria or circulatory death.
• The hospital staff and family make the difficult decision to transition to palliative, compassionate end-of-life care. MTN defers to their expertise.
• The hospital directs all comfort, palliative care and medications given at end of life and declares death, not MTN.
• MTN’s donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors have an arterial line placed that shows the patient’s heartbeat, or lack thereof, on a monitor at the donor hero’s bedside for everyone to see.
• In donation after circulatory death (DCD), a 5-minute observation period occurs after death is declared to ensure the heart doesn’t restart. A triple check at the 5-minute mark occurs by hospital, OPO and transplant center staff and only after confirmation of asystole can organ recovery begin.
• In MTN’s service area, donor heroes are always declared dead PRIOR to ever being taken into the operating room. This important differentiating process allows the family and hospital staff to be present for the withdrawal of ventilatory support and for the pronouncement of death.
• When there is concern that an overdose had a part in a donor hero’s death, MTN requires a brain blood flow scan be performed if death is declared prior to a 72-hour observation period after admission to the hospital.
If you have questions, please talk to your MTN Hospital Services Coordinator. They are knowledgeable and open to having conversations about concerns.
Thank you for being dedicated to the mission of saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. Together, we give hope and share life with the patients and families we serve.
• Learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation at
MTN Remains in the Top 10!
Good news! Midwest Transplant Network remains among the top 10 organ procurement organizations in the country.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its 2025 OPO Interim Annual Public Aggregated Performance Report showcasing each OPOs performance. The report shows that, based on 2023 data, the most current data available, MTN’s performance is among the top OPOs.
• MTN is in Tier 1A for organ donation and transplantation.
• MTN is No. 4 for donation and No. 7 for transplantation rates.
• MTN has ranked among the top OPOs for both rates for four consecutive years since CMS began providing the report.
What does MTN’s Tier 1A ranking mean?
• Each of the 55 OPOs are placed into one of three tiers based on donation and transplantation rates. Tier 1 OPOs have the upper 95% confidence limit at or above the top 25th percentile cutoff for both the donation and transplantation rates.
• Each tier ranking has a letter; A is the highest possible performance for the tier and E is the lowest.
• Beginning in 2026, donor service areas for Tier 3 OPOs may be decertified, meaning a betterperforming OPO would assume responsibility for the DSA. Should this change go into effect in 2026, MTN would meet the performance measures for recertification. However, there are numerous standards by which CMS certifies OPOs and transplant centers.
• MTN’s rating in Tier 1A reflects quality, professionalism and excellence.
MTN’s strong performance reflects great partnerships, hard work and a commitment to saving and enhancing lives through organ, eye and tissue donation, and giving hope to people waiting for the gift of a transplant.
Your dedication as a partner is valuable. Your advocacy impacts donor heroes and their families, transplant recipients and countless people in Kansas and Missouri. Thank you!
Donate Life Rose Parade
Floragraph Honoree
Midwest Transplant Network is proud to honor a donor hero from our area with a floragraph portrait on the OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float.
We are humbled to announce this year’s honoree is Chad Stacy of Olathe, Kansas . Chad was cared for by Forensic Medical of Kansas.
Chad, 34, is a son, brother, uncle, friend and father to daughters, Faith and Payton. His active life involved being outdoors, spending time with family and friends and working in construction. As a kid, he loved to play Wiffle® ball. Chad joined the U.S. Marines after high school, served as Military Police and experienced two tours of duty in Iraq. He wanted to become a police officer in his hometown, Olathe. He passed away after a car accident in 2017. He was texting while driving.
Chad was a registered organ, eye and tissue donor. His gifts included tissue, tendons, heart valves and both corneas, enhancing the lives of 157 people.
His family hosts the Chad Stacy Wiffle® Ball Tournament to celebrate donor heroes and organ, eye and tissue recipients the first Saturday in October.
The Isaacs will travel to Pasadena, Calif., for Rose Parade® events hosted by OneLegacy, the organ procurement organization of southern California.
The 2026 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float will be featured during the 137th Rose Parade® on Thursday, Jan. 1, at 8 a.m. PST
About the Parade & Float
The 2026 Rose Parade® theme is The Magic in Teamwork. The OneLegacy Donate Life float theme is Treasure Every Moment Together, and highlights gratitude for moments shared with others. The float is decorated as a tropical paradise island with a treasure chest at the center. It’s meant as a reminder that registered organ, eye and tissue donors offer the greatest treasure: the gift of life.
Ways to Register as a Donor
Let’s start with a few facts about organ, eye and tissue donation:
• 1:8 – One person can save up to eight lives as an organ donor and can enhance 100 lives as a tissue donor.
• Organs that can be donated include the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and intestines . A donor hero can restore sight with corneas , and make an impact with tissue such as skin, bone, tendons, ligaments, veins and heart valves .
• Anyone can register as an organ donor regardless of age, race or medical history.
• More than 104,000 people – women, children and men – are on the national waiting list for an organ transplant.
• More than 2,500 people in Kansas and Missouri – women, children and men – are waiting for an organ transplant.
How do you register as an organ donor?
At the DMV
You can register in person at the local driver’s license office or department of motor vehicles.
DMV partners will ask “Would you like to be an organ donor?” We know it’s a personal decision, and we encourage you to learn more and join the registry.
Register online
• In Kansas and Missouri, you can register online at ShareLifeMidwest.com
• Do you have an iPhone? You can join the donor registry with the iPhone Health app.
• Join the national organ donor registry at RegisterMe.org
• Coming soon – A collaboration between Donate Life America and Epic will allow you to register through the MyChart patient portal.
• If you want to be a registered organ donor, but you’d prefer not to have the icon on your license or ID, you can document your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor in an advanced directive, living will or healthcare power of attorney
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.
ICU/ED/OR Corner: Imminent Death Referrals and Pertinent Updates
Clinical Trigger for Potential Organ Donor Referrals
The ICU and ED play a critical role in the organ donation process, as these are the areas where organ donation is possible. Therefore, it is important to recognize the clinical triggers that necessitate a call to Midwest Transplant Network in a timely manner.
Please call MTN at 1-800-DONOR91 (1-800-366-6791) within 60 minutes if your patient meets any of the following criteria. This is also reflected in your hospital policy and in conjunction with Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Conditions of Participation, and the standards for your hospital’s accrediting body.
ALL mechanically ventilated patients with:
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 – Sept. 4, 2025
• A GCS =/<5, regardless of sedation, paralytics, hypothermia OR
• Neurologic injury or devastating illness requiring mechanical ventilation OR
• A shift towards comfort or palliative care discussions is anticipated. Clinical Updates for Current or New Organ Donor Referrals
Please call MTN immediately if ANY of the following occur (either before or after initial referral call).
• The care team or 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 neurological death (brain death) assessments, or
• A family member initiates a donation discussion.
You can also find this information on MTN’s clinical trigger badge card.
Please remember:
• Ideally MTN is onsite in the background for comfort care discussions with the healthcare team and family.
– Should the family elect comfort care and are ready for extubation, MTN being onsite provides a smooth transition to MTN for donation conversations as your hospital’s designated requestor.
– If the family chooses aggressive treatment, we will continue to follow in the background until such a time is appropriate.
Please reach out to your Hospital Services Coordinator with questions or for additional information.
Advancements in Organ Perfusion and Donor Care Services
Midwest Transplant Network is very excited to become a centralized hub for TransMedics organ perfusion pumps. Previously, TransMedics pumping stations were located in Dallas and on the East and West coasts. Starting in September, the Midwest region will now be served as MTN will house two liver pumps, one heart pump and one lung pump at our Kansas City location. A dedicated team of local clinical specialists will manage the devices while perfusing organs. This opportunity will allow us more time to maximize gifts that may have been declined in the operating room, or may need to be reallocated or extend timeframes on expedited cases when serologies were not completed. MTN is honored to collaborate with TransMedics on this innovative partnership.
Beginning this fall, the ability to provide Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) will be implemented in MTN’s Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit. After months of training and preparation, the MTN team is ready to go live. CRRT will allow MTN to maximize donor management, manage fluid status and address acute renal issues. The ability to offer CRRT at MTN’s DCU will now allow for the transfer of patients who are already receiving dialysis at the hospital.
MTN is committed to providing our donor heroes, hospital partners and the communities we serve with advanced care and technology to honor every gift of life. If you would like more information, please contact your Hospital Services Coordinator.
Partnering for Meaningful Honor Walks
Honoring donor heroes and their families is a commitment of both Midwest Transplant Network and our hospital partners. In 2018, an ICU charge nurse at Overland Park Regional Medical Center, made a remarkable request to hold an Honor Walk for a donor patient. It was the first of its kind in our service area, and MTN was humbled to see the dedication and commitment to donation at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. The request was immediately approved by the hospital’s chief nursing officer, executive leadership and critical care leadership. After ensuring family support and preparation, and extensive staff education, the most remarkable and impactful donor hero tribute took place, an Honor Walk.
Honor Walks have become a standard part of organ donation at all the larger MTN-area hospitals. MTN truly values the opportunity to be a part of every Honor Walk for donor heroes and their loved ones in the care of your hospital team.
Coordinating an Honor Walk is a significant responsibility and often falls to the ICU charge nurse or house supervisor. Communication with MTN’s clinical and family support teams is essential to ensure success.
• When Honor Walks are planned, the time frames are often very fluid.
• Our MTN Family Services team prepares the donor family for potential Honor Walk times, and it is important that hospital partners understand that the times could be adjusted.
• It is advisable for the ICU charge nurse or the designated hospital staff who is coordinating the Honor Walk to give prospective hospital attendees an indication to a tentative Honor Walk time.
• It is recommended that you wait until the transport team is present and the patient has been switched to the transport ventilator and monitors before the actual Honor Walk is formally convened.
• Once the patient is fully prepared for transport, the MTN team and the transport staff can wait for hospital staff to convene for the Honor Walk.
When we collaborate and ensure effective communication, Honor Walks can be carried out with respect for the donor family and consideration for hospital staff time.
Thank you for the work you do and for the care you provide for donor heroes and their families.
National DMV Appreciation Month
National DMV Appreciation Month is observed in September to celebrate the important role that licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue partners have in the donation and transplantation process. Created by Donate Life America , it’s an opportunity to engage and enhance awareness among the communities we serve.
Did you know? Many people who register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor do so at a DMV while getting a new identification card or driver’s license. We also know that awareness is shared through the Donate Life license plate options that are available at licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue offices. With the help of DMV partners, we continue to share the message of donation and register individuals to help save and enhance the lives of others.
Midwest Transplant Network is grateful for the collaboration and partnership of more than 200 licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue offices across the state of Kansas and western Missouri. Thank you!
Fall T-shirt Store Opens in November
Twice a year, Midwest Transplant Network offers an online store for licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue offices to order T-shirts for its employees. The T-shirt store will open in November; shirts will be delivered to offices in early December.
MTN Donor Designation Coordinator Jessica Cleary will send details such as cost, design, site link and more via e-newsletter in early November.
If you are not currently receiving emails from MTN, please contact Jessica Cleary at jcleary@mwtn.org or 913-261-7330.
Asking Makes an Impact
We appreciate you for asking the question “Would you like to be an organ donor?”
On behalf of Midwest Transplant Network, please accept our sincere gratitude for all your work in support of organ, eye and tissue donation. All of us at MTN know you ask donation-related questions with every customer interaction, and it makes a world of difference for family, friends and neighbors and so many people who need lifesaving or life-enhancing transplants. You have a very important role in the donation process, and we are thankful for all you do.
Need Organ Donation Materials?
We appreciate your ongoing support and advocacy for organ, eye and tissue donation in Kansas and western Missouri. Together, we serve a lot of communities!
Many of the license, treasury and Department of Revenue offices have requested materials for local festivals and community gatherings. Midwest Transplant Network would like to continue to support these awareness opportunities and ensure there are adequate supplies. Please do not hesitate to submit a request for your office or for these community events.
Submit a supply request: mwtn.org/dmv
MTN DMV Spotlight: Making Connections That Impact Organ Donation
September is DMV Appreciation Month and Midwest Transplant Network is recognizing the important work that DMV offices have as a partner in organ, eye and tissue donation. Deziree Herrera, West Wichita DMV Office Manager, shares her story.
Deziree Herrera is enthusiastic about the work she has been doing for the last 10 years with the Division of Vehicles in Wichita, Kansas. She is a caring person with a warmth in her voice that feels like a hug.
“I wasn’t familiar with organ donation before working with the DMV,” said Deziree. “It was only after working at the DMV that I started speaking about donation in my interactions with family and asking questions about our history and future regarding donation.”
Deziree learned that several of her family members have experienced organ donation as either a donor hero or as transplant recipient.
“Sharing information about organ, eye and tissue donation every day at the DMV means we have the ability to help save lives,” said Deziree. “For me it’s a blessing to be able to ask the donation question. Asking ‘Would you like to be an organ donor?’ means we get to open the door of opportunity to help save the lives of our neighbors. It’s an amazing feeling when people say yes to donation.”
Recognizing an important partnership
The collaboration between organ procurement organizations and DMVs is vital; over 90% of organ donor registrations across the country occur through the DMV. This highlights the critical role DMVs have in facilitating organ, eye and tissue donation and saving lives.
In recognition of their efforts, Donate Life America created National DMV Appreciation Month in 2016 to specifically honor the commitment of DMVs and driver license partners to the Donate Life mission. This annual event takes place in September and is a time for national and local organizations to express gratitude for their DMV partnerships.
“Donors are just like them”
“I love MTN’s annual calendar and never throw them away,” said Deziree. “We have posted the photos and stories on the walls of our office so people can see that donor heroes are just like them, people from all different walks of life with various backgrounds, cultures and experiences.”
She said sharing information about donation at the DMV is an element that helps the community. “It could often be the only place people hear about organ donation and the positive impact it can have for an individual or family.”
The Wichita DMV staff meet people who speak a multitude of languages. “When we speak about donation through translation there is a common connection of gratitude that happens when they say yes to donation and the language of donation then becomes universal,” said Deziree. “Smiles and excitement are exchanged and that’s what this is all about. Celebrating the opportunity to give life and helping bridge gaps in our community.”
Saving more lives
Working together, Midwest Transplant Network and DMV offices help enhance and save lives.
DMV Appreciation Month is an opportunity to give the license office patrons actionable ways to promote the need for organ donors. “We like to go all out on decorations and come up with interactive ways for the community to participate when they say yes to organ, eye and tissue donation,” said Deziree. “It’s another way to engage with people and make them aware of organ donation.”
Deziree is proud knowing she is helping lead the change in perception that is common with the DMV. These perceptions often produce feelings of frustration, bureaucracy and long waits. “Our mission is to issue a variety of licenses and provide assistance to Kansas citizens,” she said. “We are committed to work every day for the people of Kansas. Our vision is to do that with respect, integrity, fairness and civility while cheerfully, accurately and efficiently sharing vital information about organ donation.”
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
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/MidwestTransplantNetwork
/MidwestTransplantNetwork
@MWTransplant
Midwest Transplant Network
Upcoming
Events Event Audience Key
General MTN
Licensing, Treasury and Department of Revenue Partners Hospital Partners
View all upcoming events: mwtn.org/events
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November
Nov. 1 – 30 • Faith and Hope Month
Midwest Transplant Network invites you to connect your faith community with our Community Engagement & Public Relations staff. Faith communities interested in presentations, providing resources or an online toolkit are encouraged to email Nichole Asquith, Community Engagement Coordinator, at nasquith@mwtn.org with the subject line “Faith and Hope Month.”
For more information: nasquith@mwtn.org
Nov. 1 – 30 • Eye Donation Month
Midwest Transplant Network and Saving Sight, a community partner, encourage awareness about the importance of eye donation and transplantation.
For more information: saving-sight.org/eye-donation-month
January
Jan. 1, 2026 • OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® Float at the Rose Parade®
The Donate Life community will feature a float in the Rose Parade. The float, called “Treasure Every Moment Together,” will include a floragraph of 34-year-old donor hero Chad Stacy of Olathe, Kansas. Check local TV listings for details about time and broadcast channels.
For more information: mwtn.org/rose-parade
