organ donation – Page 2 – Midwest Transplant Network

Pilots standing in formation in front of a plane owned by Midwest Transplant Network.

MTN Aviation: Serving the Mission through Flight

December 21, 2023/in

The grrrrrrrrr of a small plane speeding down a runway for takeoff; a shrill whistle and the clack, clack, clack of a freight train rolling down the tracks in the near distance; the whirling, choppy sound of an aircraft unseen.

These are the sounds of the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City on a Wednesday morning, but the office of Midwest Transplant Network’s Aviation department is quiet. Inside the hangar, a plane sits at the ready to serve the mission of organ donation.

It’s 9 a.m. MTN Pilots Tom Carnahan and Tim Overman greet Genny Ly, a new Organ Procurement Coordinator, to show her the plane – an orientation to prepare for the moment she’ll be on a team that flies out for an organ recovery case.

Carnahan demonstrates how to open and close the door to board the plane, safety features inside the cabin, how to open the emergency exit and more. Walking around the plane, Carnahan points out areas along the wings to be careful; at the rear of the plane, he opens a small compartment revealing a cargo space for bags and equipment.

The plane, a Citation C3J+, has two seats in the front for pilots and eight seats in back. Most are window seats.

After touring the plane and the office, Overman and Carnahan chat with Ly before she goes to MTN’s headquarters to continue the day.

Mission Critical

“We are the only OPO in the country that owns and operates its aircraft. There are a few others who have a dedicated aircraft; however, they are managed by a charter service or other outside agency. The pilots and staff who work in MTN’s Aviation department are actual employees of MTN. MTN as an organization is also registered with the FAA as Part 91,” explained Lori Markham, RN, MSN, CCRN, Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer, MTN.

“Midwest Transplant Network is the sixth largest OPO by geography. With our aircraft, we’re able to respond quickly to donor hospitals anywhere in our service area. Because we can mobilize quickly, we are able to support our hospital partners, donor families and recover organs efficiently to maximize the gifts. Forty percent of overall donor patients are outside of the Kansas City metro, so having our own plane and pilots are critical.

“Otherwise, we’d rely on ground transportation – which could take hours – or we’d have to rely on charter or plane services that may not be readily available when needed.”

Being an MTN Pilot

Overman and Carnahan are two of nine pilots at MTN. It’s a fully staffed department, and both agree that having a full team makes a difference in work-life balance.

“It helps to be able to share the workload. We can make connections with each other, talk through needs, and it also means that the team can provide MTN full service.”

There are always two pilots on flights to transport a team and bring them back to Kansas City. The pilots know there is a time sensitivity with organs. The flight prep to get ready for a case includes weather and radars, wind speed and visibility, weight and balance for the plane to operate safely, filing a flight plan, determining alternate airports in case they can’t reach the actual destination and more.

Modern technology has made a difference in simplifying flight plans. “There were a lot of phone calls back in the day. Now we have GPS, digital apps and other tools, including the phone.”

Lemoine Davis, MBA, PMP, Manager, Aviation, leads the department.

“The MTN Aviation mission is ‘To provide safe, professional and efficient air transportation in response to MTN needs.’ Without the department, we would be strained to service our region as timelines to respond would be significantly increased or the cost to operate would increase as charters and ground transportation would be our only options.

“The training the pilots undergo regarding organ donation is informational, not technical. We provide a broad overview of the donation process and expand upon the areas they can, or might, influence. It gives the Aviation team an understanding of the importance of their role, the hazards associated with their cargo, and a general overview of how the aircraft is utilized,” said Davis.

Flexible and Responsive

Each day is different for staff at MTN, including pilots.

“A typical workday for our pilots includes coming on shift, either morning or evening, and waiting to be activated to fly within our service area. If during their shift they are not called out to fly, they could be fulfilling administrative duties or volunteering for an event within the organization. Our pilots are not required to work from the hangar as long as they can adhere to the two-hour callout timeline,” said Davis.

“The team who flies on the aircraft when transporting an organ can vary. Typically, we are flying the organ procurement team that includes an organ procurement coordinator, organ procurement preservation specialist, an organ procurement technician and/or family services staff.”

He described a recent fly-out to Joplin, Missouri, for a recovery.

“The pilots on shift flew the team out in the evening, waited on the ground for a few hours while the procedure took place, and later returned to Kansas City with the team who’d successfully recovered organs. They also brought back two additional passengers whose shift had ended.

“Overall, this took roughly four hours, which would’ve been significantly longer if they had to travel by car, or it would’ve cost more if MTN had to use charter services.”

MTN Aviation Fast Facts

1973 – Midwest Organ Bank created an in-house Aviation department at the urging of the Federal Aviation Administration to “ensure the safety of staff members and transplantable organs.”

2023 – Midwest Transplant Network is marking 50 years of Aviation and is the only organ procurement organization in the U.S. that owns and operates an aircraft. MTN staff can mobilize quickly to anywhere within the service area to support hospital partners and recover organs to maximize the gift of life.

Number of pilots: Five full-time and four part-time pilots
Range of experience: 8-48 years
Average experience: 20 years
Aviation career experience: military, private charter, private company, medical evacuation, regional airlines, flying bush planes in Alaska, or flying retired military aircraft.
Flight hours: Approximately 7.5 hours a week or 30 hours per month.
MTN service area: 150,000 sq miles covering the state of Kansas and western Missouri

A man standing next to the open door of a plane and talking to a woman.

Tom Carnahan, MTN pilot, and Genny Ly, organ procurement coordinator, stand outside the door of MTN’s aircraft during an orientation. The hangar door is open to a view of the downtown Kansas City skyline.

MTN’s airplane in the hangar, ready and waiting for its next flyout.

A pilot sits at the controls of a small plane.

Tim Overman, MTN pilot, sits at the controls of the plane to show the various screens of radar and other details necessary while flying a plane.

Midwest Transplant Network pilots in front of the MTN plane at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City, Missouri.

Partner Spotlight — Lisa Miller, Jackson County, Kansas, Treasurer’s Office

November 21, 2023/in

/by Midwest Transplant Network

Midwest Transplant Network partners with licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue offices in Kansas and western Missouri to grow the organ, eye and tissue donor registry. We spoke with Lisa Miller, Deputy Treasurer of the Jackson County, Kansas, Treasurer’s Office about why donation is so important to her.

Jackson County, Kansas, Deputy Treasurer Lisa Miller

How does your specific office help inform and educate patrons on the importance of joining the donor registry?

We display all of the items that are provided by MTN and also participate in the promotions for National Donate Life Month and National DMV Appreciation Month with a display in our office.

We have in the past had our pictures of our displays in the local newspaper.

Why do you feel your office’s efforts to promote the need for organ, eye and tissue donors are so important?

Our office has a personal connection to organ donation. We have two employees with relatives who are recipients of organ donation and one employee who is a living donor.

Tell us about your connection to organ, eye and tissue donation.

In April 2004, my husband became ill and ended up in the hospital with an infection. After many doctor’s appointments and several years later, he ended up in the hospital and was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. Our belief is that the infection had attacked his heart. His cardiologist referred us to the Saint Luke’s transplant program. After spending the first half of 2014 in and out of the hospital, he was finally added to the transplant waitlist in July. He entered the hospital in October and received his heart in December. Since, he has been able to see two of his children get married and is enjoying his four grandchildren and hunting with his sons.

What is the biggest misconception you hear about donation in your personal and/or professional life?

That the medical professionals will not provide the care needed to save a life if they know that the individual is a donor.

If there is one thing you would want to share with others about the importance of joining the donor registry, what would it be?

It truly is a gift of life.

Partner Spotlight — Linda Gerhardt, Jackson County, Kansas, Treasurer’s Office

September 28, 2023/in

/by Linda Gerhardt

As National DMV Appreciation Month comes to a close, Jackson County, Kansas, Treasurer Linda Gerhardt told us why organ, eye and tissue donation is personal to her.

Living donor and Jackson County, Kansas, Treasurer Linda Gerhardt

Mine is the story of a living kidney donor. My niece was diagnosed with diabetes when she was in high school. Her mother was diabetic, so she had inherited it. A few years after my niece got out of high school, she was continually sick and in and out of the hospital. She was on dialysis, and she did the dialysis at home at night and went to work during the day. She was a very hardworking, self-supporting young woman. The day came that she was told she needed a kidney transplant. She was put on the transplant waitlist and was told that could take quite a while.

As time went on, my niece became sicker; she was in and out of the hospital, and we worried she might not receive a kidney in time. One day I was at my mother’s, and she said to me, “If something were to happen to me, could Melody get one of my kidneys?” It suddenly opened my eyes. I told my sister of the conversation, and she said that she herself had asked the doctor about donating, and they had told her no because of a medical condition. I had never even given it a thought as a possibility. I was 39 years old and married with two boys. We were her dad’s sisters, so there was a chance we could match. Her parents were both deceased, and none of her brothers or sisters matched or for health reasons couldn’t donate. I suddenly realized this was something I could do.

I then started the process. I was an 80% match to Melody, and they told me that her dad and I probably would have been a perfect match. I had never been a person to go to the doctor unless I had to (kind of like not wanting to go to the dentist), but at the point of finding out I could help her, it was like God was leading my way. I had to monitor my blood pressure; I would go to the health department so they could record it for me. It would be high, and the nurse would say, “Let’s just visit for a while,” and then it would be fine. I passed all the tests.

We checked in at The University of Kansas Medical Center to do the surgery, and preliminary tests showed my niece had an infection, so it was put off for a month. The next time, we were good to go. My priest at church had announced to the congregation to pray for me and gave me a special blessing. It was all like it was meant to be.

On June 25, 2023, we marked 25 years since the transplant. I received the prettiest bouquet of flowers from her. Being an organ donor was never something I had considered, but knowing I could possibly save her life was such a good feeling. I never saw a bill for anything; it all went through my niece’s insurance.

When I was an organ donor, I did not work in the treasurer’s/driver’s license office. Now, I do, and I am honored to help inform people about and promote organ donation. It is amazing how surrounded we have been by organ donation in the courthouse. We’ve had a coworker’s husband receive a heart transplant and a coworker’s brother receive a kidney/pancreas transplant. And in the Register of Deeds office, a worker’s granddaughter received a lung transplant. On the third floor of the courthouse, a judge received a heart transplant, and a past employee’s husband received a kidney from his daughter. In some of these cases, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be here today if not for others’ generous donations.

We always participate in whatever we can to promote organ donation at our office. No one knows when they might be the next one to have a loved one suffering from an illness they never expected, whose life depends on your decision or someone else’s. If you have ever been faced with someone you know needing an organ transplant, you would know how important it is to be on the donor registry. Please think about organ donation.

Our thanks to Linda Gerhardt for writing this guest blog post.

Partner Spotlight — Stefanie Dotson, Maryville Licensing Bureau

September 20, 2023/in

/by Midwest Transplant Network

In honor of National DMV Appreciation Month, we asked Assistant Manager Stefanie Dotson of the Maryville (Missouri) Licensing Bureau about her important role in the donation process. She also shared her personal ties to organ, eye and tissue donation in this Q&A.

Stefanie Dotson with her nephew, donor hero Aiden Jones

Maryville Licensing Bureau Assistant Manager Stefanie Dotson (left) with her nephew, donor hero Aiden

Q: Tell us a bit about the role the DMV plays in organ, eye and tissue donation.

A: As a DMV worker, any time I issue a permit or driver’s license, we ask if they would like to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. I have found that many people are unaware of the program and have no knowledge of the benefits. At that time, I am able to inform them with the facts and use my personal experiences so they can make the right decision for them.

Q: Tell us about your connection to organ, eye and/or tissue donation.

A: I have several connections to the organ, eye and tissue donation program. I have a friend who has received two kidneys, and I’m happy to report she’s doing great. My mother-in-law had three kinds of cancer, and my husband was still able to donate her corneas when she passed. The one most dear to my heart is my organ donor hero nephew. He was 16 years old when tragedy struck, and we found ourselves devastated by the news he would not be going home with us. I looked at my sister and said, “You know what the next question is, right?” She said, “No, what?” I said, “Do you want to donate his organs?” She took a bit to talk it over and decided she would. The honor walk was amazing. My sister has since received letters from some of the recipients, which have been amazing to read.

Q: How does your specific office help inform and educate patrons on the importance of joining the donor registry?

A: Our office always tries to find fun ways to open up the conversation about being a donor. We like to participate in any decorating contests that are available, we have different displays with facts about being a donor and we include the people we know are recipients or have become a donor hero in our display. Around the holidays, we decorate a tree with the donation colors and add bracelets for the public.

Q: Why do you feel your office’s efforts to promote the need for organ, eye and tissue donors are so important?

A: I feel it is important to inform people of the facts about being a donor. There are lots of misconceptions out there about the details that scare people away. When people are informed with facts, it’s easier for them to make the decision to be an organ donor.

Q: What is the biggest misconception you hear about donation that you hear in your personal and/or professional life?

A: The biggest misconception I hear is: “I was told I can’t donate my organs by this doctor because of this.”

My mother-in-law’s corneas were still used even though she had three different cancers.

Q: If there is one thing you’d want to share with others about the importance of joining the donor registry, what would it be?

A: I just would like people to realize how life-changing it is to be a recipient of an organ. Your loved one gets to live on and is celebrated by people you never knew existed because they are a part of your loved one, with them every day.

Celebrating One Year of a World-Class Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit

August 31, 2023/in

News

/by Midwest Transplant Network

One year ago — Sept. 1, 2022 — Midwest Transplant Network (MTN) opened its new Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit (DCU) after years of careful planning, preparation and training on the processes and technology associated with an in-house facility. Since then, with support from many hospital, professional and community partners, we have cared for 131 donor patients[1] from 29 area hospitals in our world-class DCU. These donor heroes provided 415 lifesaving organs to those who desperately waited for a second chance.

The DCU features a seven-bed onsite intensive care unit, two state-of-the-art operating rooms, a CT scanner with technology to conference remotely with physicians, a specialty laboratory and a family support lounge for donor heroes’ loved ones to gather if desired. Patients who meet certain clinical criteria may be eligible to move to the DCU, where MTN staff members continue administering high-level critical care until surgical teams begin organ recovery.

“It’s hard to believe we have already been providing expert care to donor heroes in our DCU for a year,” said Lori Markham, RN, MSN, CCRN-K, CPTC, MTN Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer. “We had a vision to create a specialized facility in-house for many years, and seeing it come to fruition has been so powerful. I am incredibly proud of our team for all their hard work, and I am grateful for all our partners that have come together to support this new process that allows for better outcomes.”

Since the DCU opened, MTN has enabled more organs per donor to be transplanted than before, with the average number of organs transplanted per donor increasing from 3.1 pre-DCU to 3.35 post-DCU opening among the same type of donor characteristics when recovered in donor hospitals.

“We anticipated that the DCU would allow a focus solely on the process of organ donation and ultimately create better outcomes for transplant recipients,” said Jan Finn, RN, MSN, MTN President & Chief Executive Officer. “It’s an honor to fulfill the mission of MTN in this incredibly important work and also recognize the need to continue innovating and improving to honor donor heroes and their families. We are proud to see our staff and facility working so well allowing us to extend the gift of life to even more recipients and provide hope for those awaiting a transplant.”

MTN staff members are highly trained in the complexity of caring for organ donor heroes in the DCU, which was designed specifically to maximize the gift of life; this can free up critical resources in area hospitals — such as intensive care unit beds and operating rooms — to serve other patients in need.

“My team has complete confidence in sending our patients to Midwest Transplant Network’s DCU,” said Carol Perry, Senior Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer, Stormont Vail Health; MTN Advisory Board. “The state-of-the-art facility allows MTN’s team of expertly trained staff members to provide specialized care for donors as their gifts are matched with recipients and throughout the organ, eye and tissue recovery process. Knowing our donor heroes are receiving high-quality care at the DCU allows us to dedicate resources to critically ill patients in our ICU.”

Out of 56 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the U.S., MTN is just the 12th organization with a donor care and recovery center that is not based in a hospital. Creating the DCU is one of many tactics MTN has taken to improve donation outcomes.

“It was hard to imagine the extent of possibilities and growth that would result from the opening of the DCU — and yet, as a team, we have successfully learned how to perform our own echocardiograms and liver biopsies, take X-rays and prepare our own slides for pathology, all while continuing to provide the best care possible to our donor heroes,” said Emily Freund, BSN, RN, CPTC, MTN Organ Procurement Coordinator III. “The DCU is proving to be key in our mission to increasing gifts transplanted.”

[1] All DCU data pulled from Sept. 1, 2022, through July 31, 2023.

MTN Spotlight – Barb Sheble, Ambassador

August 30, 2023/in

Blog

/by Midwest Transplant Network

August is National Multiethnic Donor Awareness Month, a collaborative initiative to save and improve the quality of life of diverse communities by creating a positive culture for organ, eye and tissue donation.

Midwest Transplant Network will recognize and support National Multiethnic Donor Awareness Month with a series of original content featuring community partners, staff and volunteer Ambassadors who represent diversity and the mission to give hope and share life. We hope you enjoy the perspectives of our friends!

MTN Spotlight…Barb Sheble

In college, Barb Sheble passed out during track practice. A few months later, she got sick and passed out again. She was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition. That was in 1991.

In the mid- ‘90s, doctors said a transplant would be in her future.

“In the ’90s, you didn’t hear as much about organ donation,” said Sheble. “My only knowledge about organ donation was that a friend’s brother signed up to be a donor on his license. He died in a car accident and his organs were donated.”

Sheble said she “lived with the condition for 18 years” before being placed on the transplant waitlist in January 2009. She received a heart the same year.

Sheble, whose heritage is Citizen Potawatomi Nation, is an MTN Ambassador who’s volunteered since 2013. As a kid, she wanted to be a marine biologist; as an adult, she’s a medical lab scientist. The favorite songs on her playlist are “too many to count” because music is her peace and solace; she loves to rest and relax in the mountains, and when it comes to roller coasters or Ferris wheels, it’s “Roller coasters all day!”

What are three ways that being a transplant recipient has changed your life besides giving you another chance?
It has given me friends that I would have never met, and now I couldn’t imagine life without them. It has helped me see life on a broader scale — that the little troubles are just bumps in the road on this journey we call life.

It has taught me that we have to live each day with a purpose and to cherish what we have. Our family, friends and our experiences with those around us are more important than any of the tangible things we think we need.

Did you have any concerns or hesitancy about being a transplant recipient? If so, what were they?
Honestly, not really. I’d been through so much over the previous 18 years that to me, it was just the next thing I needed to do to keep moving forward on my journey.

How does your Native American heritage influence your conversations about organ donation?
I’m not sure I can say it is necessarily due to my heritage, but I just always want to be an advocate. I want people to know that donation works, so I talk about it as much as I can! I am proud to be Native American, and I am proud to be a recipient. My tribal ancestors were very strong-willed people, so I feel my Native American heritage has prepared me to be successful on my transplant journey.

In what ways do you advocate for organ donation?
Any way I can! I donate time when I can. I talk about it any chance I can, and I try every day to show that through transplant, you can live a full life. You can work, travel, exercise, go on hikes…you name it. I want people to see that if there is a will, you can make your ideals for your life happen. It’s all in the attitude!

Tell us about the Transplant Games. What have you experienced?

AMAZING! That one word sums up the games. Do they always run smoothly? No. But do I ever regret going? NEVER. The games and the people I know from them are what I look forward to all year long. You will always find inspiration at the games! From meeting donor families to meeting other recipients, the competition and the sportsmanship is literally the best thing!

Sheble has participated in the Transplant Games of America and World Transplant Games since 2012 in events that include shot put; discus and the ball throw; javelin; Pétanque doubles; volleyball and pickleball doubles. She’s been to Transplant Games of America in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Houston; Cleveland; Salt Lake City and San Diego, and to World Transplant Games in South Africa, Argentina, Spain, United Kingdom and Australia.

MTN staff holding a large check from Colonial Life

Colonial Life sales team donates $1,000 to Midwest Transplant Network

August 25, 2023/in

Blog

/by Midwest Transplant Network

From left to right: Amanda Liezert and Marie Simms, Colonial Life; Jan Finn and Sarah Oland, MTN. Back row: Terry Shambles, MTN; Noah Costlow and Alex Sanz, Colonial Life.

A sales competition among local teams at Colonial Life meant the winners could donate $1,000 to an organization of their choice.

Amanda Liezert, Agency Manager, Colonial Life, is on the Kansas Territory team, and she has connections to Midwest Transplant Network. She previously owned Tierney Office Supplies, and MTN was a client. In 2002, her husband, John Liezert, received a heart transplant at Saint Luke’s Hospital. MTN was part of their journey. He lived until December 2020.

“Organ donation indirectly gave me my family. We were just starting our lives, and one person’s loss gave us a whole life,” said Liezert.

Amanda’s team won the contest and chose Midwest Transplant Network as their beneficiary.

“There were no second thoughts,” said Marie Simms, District General Manager, Colonial Life. “We know Amanda’s story, we love her and her family, and we know the importance of organ donation.”

The team visited MTN’s headquarters to present a $1,000 ceremonial check, received by Jan Finn, RN, MSN, President & Chief Executive Officer; Sarah Oland, LMSW, Chief Stakeholder Engagement Officer; and Terry Shambles, FACHE, FHFMA, Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer.

MTN Achieves Top-Tier Rating From CMS

August 18, 2023/in

News

/by Midwest Transplant Network

For the third consecutive year, Midwest Transplant Network is ranked among the top organ procurement organizations in the country by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services performance reporting.

The 2023 OPO Annual Public Aggregated Report shows that based on 2021 data — the most recent data currently available — Midwest Transplant Network is rated as Tier 1A and is third in the nation for both donation and transplantation rates.

There are 56 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the U.S. Each is ranked into one of three tiers based on donation and transplantation rates; each tier ranking has a letter — A to E — from highest to lowest possible performance.

Incorporated in 1973, Midwest Transplant Network is a federally certified, not-for-profit organ procurement organization that facilitates organ, eye and tissue donation in partnership with hospitals and other professional partners to give hope and share life. MTN’s service area is the state of Kansas and western two-thirds of Missouri, with its central office located in Westwood, Kansas, and satellite offices in Wichita, Kansas, and Columbia and Joplin, Missouri. MTN is commemorating 50 years of service in 2023.

“It is our privilege to support donor families and extend their loved one’s legacy,” said Jan Finn, RN, MSN, President & Chief Executive Officer, Midwest Transplant Network.

“We are proud to have achieved a Tier 1A designation among OPOs. It’s a reflection of our generous donor heroes, strong partnerships, dedicated staff members, and a commitment to innovation and improvement.

“Every day, we strive to save and enhance more lives through organ, eye and tissue donation, and we will continue to focus on these important efforts on behalf of donor families, transplant recipients and people on the waitlist,” said Finn.

More than organ procurement

In addition to organ procurement, MTN:

Recovers tissues for restorative and reconstructive procedures;
Conducts laboratory testing to support organ transplantation;
Recovers organs and tissues in a state-of-the-art Donor Care and Surgical Recovery Unit;
Provides 24/7 response on organ referrals from hospital partners;
Has staff dedicated to supporting organ, eye and tissue donor families with a variety of resources, including a two-year donor family support program;
Shares the importance of joining the donor registry through community engagement;

Has 245 hospital partners in its service area and collaborates with five transplant centers in the care, placement and transplantation of donated organs, including Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Research Medical Center, Saint Luke’s Health System, University of Missouri Health Care and University of Kansas Health System.

Improvements to increase kidney transplants

MTN participates in the national End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices Learning Collaborative (ETCLC), which aims to increase the number of deceased kidney transplants, decrease the non-use rate and increase the use of kidneys with higher expected risk of graft failure. MTN has reviewed the way it manages donors and facilitates the recovery process, as well as the complicated allocation system to identify opportunities for improved data collection and analysis to ensure more people are helped through kidney transplantation.

“By taking a closer look at our donor management, recovery and allocation processes to make improvements and changes, MTN can help more people receive kidneys to improve their health and quality of life. We recognize the concern about kidneys that affect OPOs across the country, so MTN consistently looks for ways to make improvements that could save more lives,” said Lori Markham, RN, MSN, CCRN-K, Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer.

2022: A remarkable year for saving lives

Through MTN, the generosity of donor heroes and their families touched the lives of people in need:

361 donor heroes shared the gift of life, resulting in 972 lifesaving organ transplants.
1,593 cornea and tissue donor heroes saved and enhanced lives.
MTN’s lab performed 35,145 transplant-supporting tests ranging from blood counts, urinalysis, basic chemistry panels and more.

“We are proud to be among the top OPOs in the country, yet we know that we must continue working diligently and remain open to improvements if we want to see continued success. We will always follow our mission and vision to make a positive impact on behalf of all the people and communities we serve,” said Finn.

Legislative Changes

Recently, the Senate passed the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Act, S. 1668. The legislation will be sent to President Joe Biden to sign.

If signed, the bill will modify how the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funds and manages the OPTN, a public-private network of professionals involved in the U.S. organ donation and transplantation system. Historically, the contract to manage the network has been awarded to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). The bill “expressly authorizes HRSA to award multiple contracts, or cooperative agreements to support the operation of the network and eliminates a cap on the amount of funding available for supporting the network.”

It’s unclear how the legislation might impact Midwest Transplant Network, however, MTN is supportive of efforts to modernize the U.S. transplantation system which are implemented without significant disruption to OPOs and transplant centers while respecting the charitable nature of organ donation and recovery in a way that encourages community participation and support.

Midwest Transplant Network is commemorating its 50th anniversary serving the people of Kansas and western Missouri. More than 7,000 organ donors from Midwest Transplant Network’s donor service area (DSA) have contributed to over 32,000 lifesaving transplants since MTN’s inception in 1972. Additionally, more than 23,000 tissue donors have given gifts in this timeframe, enabling nearly 250,000 life-enhancing tissue transplants for burn victims, cancer survivors, individuals with sports-related injuries and more.

Organ donor heroes from Midwest Transplant Network’s service area saved the lives of 12 people with an organ transplant in 1972. In 2022, that number was 972, illustrating the thoughtfulness of people in Kansas and western Missouri; the strong support from MTN’s hospital and community partners; and MTN’s commitment to continual improvement and saving more lives.

Among the Best in the Nation* Midwest Transplant Network

MTN Ranks Third Nationally for Donation, Transplantation Rates

May 5, 2023/in

News

/by Midwest Transplant Network

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2023 OPO Annual Public Aggregated Performance Report, which outlines individual organ procurement organization (OPO) performance in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available.

The report notes that of 56 federally certified U.S. OPOs:

15 — including Midwest Transplant Network — are Tier 1 (26%),
18 are Tier 2 (32%) and
24 are Tier 3 (42%).

This report places all OPOs 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 OPO’s tier ranking also has a letter associated with it; A is the highest-possible performance for that tier and E the lowest.

MTN ranks No. 3 nationally for both donation and transplantation rates; it has been in the top three OPOs for both rates all three years that this report has been released.

Midwest Transplant Network’s assessment rating in Tier 1A reflects the quality, professionalism and excellence in partnerships throughout our service area, as well as the incredible generosity of organ, eye, and tissue donors and their families. It also reflects the commitment our staff members have to saving lives by honoring the gifts of organ, eye and tissue donation.

To learn more, view the full performance report.

Midwest Transplant Network Presents Awards for Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation Excellence

April 7, 2023/in

News

/by Midwest Transplant Network

Midwest Transplant Network staff members recognize their 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 community.

Based on 2022 donation outcomes, Midwest Transplant Network presents the Excellence in Organ and Tissue Donation Awards to hospitals that had a higher-than-average number of families granting authorization for donation. The organization also gives these awards to exceptional partners in hospitals; licensing, treasury and Department of Revenue offices; medical examiner officers; funeral homes and beyond. These individuals made an extraordinary contribution to Midwest Transplant Network’s lifesaving mission.

To recognize these achievements, Midwest Transplant Network provided honored hospitals and individuals with an original piece of art created by Marlene Lewis. “Hope Takes Flight” showcases the transformative power of hope and the metamorphosis that occurs when someone is given a second chance at life. Vertically, the painting is an hourglass; horizontally, it becomes a butterfly. The idea of an hourglass transforming into a butterfly serves as a metaphor for the process of anticipation and the moment when one can soar.

Midwest Transplant Network collaborates with 250 hospitals and would like to recognize the following:

Organ and tissue excellence: AdventHealth Shawnee Mission; Boone Health; Capital Region Medical Center; Hutchinson Regional Medical Center; Kansas Medical Center; Liberty Hospital; Menorah Medical Center; Mercy Hospital Joplin; Overland Park Regional Medical Center; Research Medical Center; Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City; Saint Luke’s North Hospital — Barry Road; The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus; University Hospital, University of Missouri Health Care

Organ excellence: Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Freeman Health System, Mercy Hospital Lebanon, Moberly Regional Medical Center, University Health Lakewood Medical Center

Tissue excellence: LMH Health Hospital, Mosaic Life Care, Olathe Medical Center, Saint Luke’s East Hospital, St. Mary’s Medical Center

In addition to hospitals, Midwest Transplant Network collaborates with countless individuals and teams and would like to recognize the following:

Individual and group honorees: James L. Cook, DVM, PhD, OTSC Missouri Orthopaedic Institute; Rev. Becky Crouse DMin, MDiv, BCC, and Rev. Josh Morris, PhD, MDiv, BCC, Children’s Mercy Kansas City; Freeman Health System Donor Council; Linda Isaac, Midwest Transplant Network Ambassador; Jackson County Treasurer’s Office; Ashish Kulhari, MD, Research Medical Center; Darryl Nelson, MD, Centerpoint Medical Center; the Nickerson family; Yvette Richards, DMin, St. James United Methodist Church; Rabbi Jonathan Rudnick, Jewish Family Services; Jim Walker, MD, Ascension Via Christi St. Francis

About Midwest Transplant Network

Midwest Transplant Network has been connecting lives through organ donation since 1973. As the federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organization (OPO) for Kansas and the western two-thirds of Missouri, Midwest Transplant Network provides services including organ procurement; surgical tissue and eye recovery; laboratory testing; and 24-hour rapid response for referrals from hospital partners. Midwest Transplant Network ranks in the top 10% in the country among OPOs, which reflects the organization’s quality, professionalism and excellence in partnerships throughout the region. For more information, visit mwtn.org.

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