The Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance (The Alliance) is in final preparations for the eagerly-anticipated National Pediatric Donation and Transplantation Summit, taking place in Houston on May 24-25, 2023. Equipped with an esteemed planning committee, a thought-provoking agenda and an endorsement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), this summit aims to unite experts, practitioners and healthcare leaders to address critical issues surrounding pediatric organ donation and transplantation.
The Alliance, an organization dedicated to uniting the donation, transplantation and healthcare communities to promote collaboration and sharing of effective practices, has assembled a diverse and distinguished planning committee comprising experts from various medical specialties and stakeholder groups. Together, they have crafted an engaging program designed to foster collaboration, share best practices and drive innovation in pediatric organ transplantation.
“We are delighted to bring together some of the finest minds in the field of pediatric donation and transplantation to exchange knowledge, discuss challenges and explore opportunities for advancements in this vital area,” said Dr. Tom Nakagawa, Chair of the Planning Committee and Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville. “The summit presents an incredible platform to address the unique complexities involved in caring for pediatric patients and enhancing the outcomes of their transplant journeys.” Dr. Nakagawa also serves on the board of directors for The Alliance.
The Planning Committee includes:
The two-day event will feature a series of keynote presentations, panel discussions and specialized breakouts, providing attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the latest research, clinical practices and policy developments in pediatric organ donation and transplantation. The summit aims to promote collaboration among medical professionals, organ recovery professionals and industry partners to improve the lives of children in need of organ transplants.
Highlights from the summit agenda include:
- The Current State of Pediatric Donation and Transplantation led by Dr. Tom Nakagawa, Dr. Simon Horslen (UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh) and Dr. Benson Hsu (University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine)
- Pediatric Determination of Death led by Dr. Tom Nakagawa and Dr. Matthew Kirschen (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)
- DCD in Pediatrics led by Dr. Mudit Mathur (Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine), Dr. Erin Fuchs (University of Utah Health), and Woody Marshall (DonorConnect)
- Understanding the Differences in Authorization in Adults vs. Pediatrics led by Lori Markham (Midwest Transplant Network), Dr. Judith Zier (Children’s Minnesota), Sarah Oland (Midwest Transplant Network) and Dr. Tammy Kang (Texas Children’s Hospital)
- Waitlist Challenges of the Adolescent Patient led by Joshua Gossett (Stanford Medicine Children’s Health) and Dr. Judith VanSickle (Children’s Mercy)
- We Have Authorization… Now What? Led by Lauren Quinn (LifeGift), Dr. Dan Lebovitz (Akron Children’s Hospital) and Lori Markham (Midwest Transplant Network)
- Pediatric Transplant Acceptance Practices led by Diesa Samp (Texas Children’s Hospital), Dr. Simon Horslen (UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh), Dr. Nhu Thao Nguyen Galvan (Baylor College of Medicine) and Laura Hulse (Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters)
- Ethics Related to Brain Death and DCD: Gift Law, Authorization and Conflicts of Interest led by Kevin Myer (LifeGift) and Alexandra Glazier (New England Donor Services)
- Volumetric Approaches led by Josh Gossett (Stanford Medicine Children’s Health), Dr. John Dykes (Stanford Medicine Children’s Health) and Justin Johnson (Donor Network West)
- Emerging Innovations and Technologies in Abdominal Pediatric Donation and Transplantation led by Diesa Samp (Texas Children’s Hospital), Dr. John Goss (Texas Children’s Hospital) and Dr. Andrew Bonham (Stanford Medicine)
- Infectious Disease Considerations for Potential Donors and Rule Out Criteria led by Kevin Myer (LifeGift), Kurt Shutterly (CORE), Dr. Flor Munoz-Rivas (Baylor College of Medicine) and Dr. Marian G. Michaels (UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh)
- Recognizing and Managing Acute Rejection in Pediatrics led by Dr. Mudit Mathur (Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine), Dr. Juan C. Alejos (UCLA), Dr. Seth Hollander (Stanford Medicine Children’s Health) and Dr. Krupa Mysore (Baylor College of Medicine)
- Critical Partnerships for Success in Innovation: Pediatric Heart Transplantation led by Lauren Quinn (LifeGift), Dr. Joseph Turek (Duke University Medical Center), Sarah Casalinova (Duke University Medical Center) and Caitrin Conroy (Infinite Legacy)
- Innovation in Pediatric Lung Transplantation led by Diesa Samp (Texas Children’s Hospital), Dr. Stuart Sweet (St. Louis Children’s Hospital), Dr. Maria Carolina Gazzaneo (Baylor College of Medicine) and Woodlhey C. Ambroise (LifeGift)
- Exploring NRP in Pediatric DCD led by Lori Markham (Midwest Transplant Network), Jennifer Prinz (Donor Alliance) and Dr. Anji Wall (Baylor Scott & White Health)
- Ethical Considerations of DCD in Pediatrics led by Dr. Matthew Kirschen (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) and Dr. Matthew Weiss (Hospital for Mothers and Children of the University of Laval Health Network)
Additionally, the summit will feature specialized “TAD Talks” from key thought leaders in the community. Short for “Transplantation and Donation,” these TAD Talks are brief presentations designed to introduce critical ideas worth sharing and offer a unique perspective on a key issue in donation and transplantation, ranging from the latest advances in research to the ethical considerations that underpin our work. TAD Talk presentations include:
- Generating Abundance: Overcoming the Scarcity Mindset by Dennis Wagner (Yes And Leadership)
- The Gift of Presence: Enhancing the Family Experience to Impact Pediatric Authorization Rates by Schawnté Williams-Taylor (LifeGift)
- From Success to Significance by Demia Kandi (Significance, LLC)
- The Power of State-of-the-Art Logistics by Scott Plank (MediGO)
- Four Weeks to Rebuild by Dr. Bhargava Mullapudi (Children’s Mercy)
- Bringing Real-Time Data Insights to Transplantation: A Ready Frontier for Precision Medicine by Dr. Rowland Pettit (Baylor College of Medicine)
“The summit will serve as a catalyst for collaboration, inspiring attendees to work collectively towards improving outcomes for pediatric transplant patients,” said Jan Finn, President & CEO of Midwest Transplant Network and 2023 Board Chair of The Alliance Board of Directors. “By bringing together diverse perspectives and harnessing the power of shared knowledge, we can drive transformative change and ensure that every child in need of an organ transplant receives the gift of life.”
Registration for the National Pediatric Donation and Transplantation Summit is now open. In-person and virtual attendance options are available. To learn more about the summit, access the full agenda, and register, click here.
About The Alliance:
The Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance (“The Alliance”) delivers relevant, targeted and scalable learning solutions for the organ donation and transplantation community of practice – including organ procurement organizations, transplant centers and programs, and hospitals where donations occur. By convening members across the community of practice, it is a platform to identify emerging concepts and innovative practices, and cascading resources and educational programs of transformational quality and value. The Alliance is not a membership organization, but partners with leading organizations across the continuum to advance a shared mission to save and heal lives through organ donation and transplantation.
