LIFEGIFT ORGAN DONATION CENTER

PROCUREMENT:AS AN ORGAN PROCUREMENT ORGANIZATION (OPO), LIFEGIFT STAFF ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY TO RECEIVE REFERRALS FROM HOSPITAL PERSONNEL WHO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL ORGAN AND/OR TISSUE DONORS. THE ORGANIZATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SERVICING A FEDERALLY DESIGNATED SERVICE AREA, WHICH INCLUDES 109 COUNTIES IN HOUSTON, FORT WORTH, LUBBOCK AND AMARILLO AND WORKS WITH APPROXIMATELY 200 HOSPITALS. DURING 2023, 1,546 ORGANS WERE RECOVERED FROM 469 DONORS FOR TRANSPLANT, A RATE OF RECOVERY THAT IS HIGHER THAN MOST OTHER OPOS IN THE COUNTRY. LIFEGIFT WORKS WITH TRANSPLANT CENTERS AND UNITED NETWORK FOR ORGAN SHARING (UNOS) TO FACILITATE THE MATCHING OF DONOR ORGANS TO RECIPIENTS. LIFEGIFT STAFF FOLLOW THE POLICIES DICTATED BY THE ORGAN PROCUREMENT TRANSPLANT NETWORK (OPTN) FOR THE ALLOCATION OF ORGANS. ADDITIONALLY, LIFEGIFT MAINTAINS A COMMUNICATIONS CALL CENTER, 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. THE CENTER SCREENS REFERRALS, APPROACHES FAMILIES FOR AUTHORIZATION AND MEDICAL HISTORY INFORMATION AND COORDINATES ORGAN AND TISSUE RECOVERY EFFORTS. LIFEGIFT RECEIVED MORE THAN 38,000 REFERRALS IN 2023. LIFEGIFT ALSO RECOVERS TISSUE AND WORKS WITH SEVEN LOCAL AND NATIONAL TISSUE PROCESSORS TO REFER TISSUE USED FOR TRANSPLANTATION. DURING 2023, THERE WERE MORE THAN 1,300 TISSUE DONATIONS OF BONE, SKIN, HEART VALVES AND VEINS. THESE DONATIONS SAVE THE LIVES OF BURN VICTIMS AND CHILDREN WITH HEART DEFECTS. LIFEGIFT'S FACILITIES INCLUDE FIVE ON-SITE OPERATING ROOMS FOR TISSUE RECOVERY. REFERRALS ARE ALSO PROVIDED TO FOUR EYE BANKS TO RECOVER CORNEAS TO RESTORE SIGHT AND FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES.

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION:LIFEGIFT FACILITATES ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION AT OVER 200 HOSPITALS ACROSS TEXAS, WORKING WITH HOSPITAL PARTNERS TO EMPLOY DATA, EDUCATION, AND STRATEGIC PLANS TO BUILD SUCCESSFUL DONATION PROGRAMS AND OPTIMIZE DONATION AT EACH INSTITUTION. THE HOSPITAL'S UNDERSTANDING OF ITS ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN FACILITATING DONATION IS VITAL TO ENSURING THAT ALL POTENTIAL DONORS ARE IDENTIFIED, DONOR FAMILIES ARE SUPPORTED APPROPRIATELY, AND THAT THE DONATION PROCESS OCCURS EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY, ULTIMATELY INCREASING DONATION RATES. LIFEGIFT'S DONATION SYSTEMS TEAM SERVES AS LIAISONS BETWEEN LIFEGIFT AND THE HOSPITALS, ENSURING A CONSISTENT PRESENCE AT THE HOSPITALS TO DRIVE ENGAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR DONATION OUTCOMES. THESE RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH HOSPITAL STAKEHOLDERS, COLLECTING AND SHARING KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS, COLLABORATING TO EMPLOY QUALITY IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS TO INCREASE DONATION, PERFORMING MEDICAL RECORD REVIEW TO DETERMINE DONOR POTENTIAL AND CONSISTENT EDUCATION OF HOSPITAL STAFF INVOLVED IN THE DONATION PROCESS. LIFEGIFT ALSO WORKS CLOSELY WITH HOSPITAL LEADERSHIP TO BUILD A CULTURE THAT SUPPORTS DONATION, IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT AND ADDRESS ANY BARRIERS TO DONATION WITHIN THE INSTITUTION.