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DCD Best Practices

Workshop

This one-day virtual workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of key concepts and effective practices to build successful donation after circulatory death (DCD) processes and procedures within partner hospitals, as outlined in the new Alliance DCD Resource Guide.

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On-Demand Learning Pathway
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DCD National Best Practices & Approaches Workshop

REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED: This essential one-day workshop was held  on August 13, 2025. The on-demand learning pathway is available now.

This one-day virtual workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of key concepts and effective practices to build successful donation after circulatory death (DCD) processes and procedures within partner hospitals, as outlined in the new Alliance DCD Resource Guide. Together, we will introduce 10 essential areas of focus, ranging from regulatory and accreditation compliance, to enhancing a successful hospital DCD program.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This workshop’s intended focus is a broad exploration of the fundamentals of DCD, recommended standards of care and methods for partnering with hospital care teams to build effective DCD policies, practices and care plans. It is not intended as an in-depth clinical course. This course is open exclusively to organ procurement organizations and healthcare professionals who play a supporting role in the organ donation process.

The objectives of this workshop are as follows:

  • Provide regulatory and legal considerations and historical information about organ donation practices, including DCD, and its impact on the donation and transplantation crisis in the United States.
  • Define donation-related performance measures
  • Increase awareness of national, regional, local and specific hospital data measuring DCD performance.
  • Describe successful processes for potential donor identification, timely OPO notification, and DCD donor management.
  • Identify the importance of collaborative donation conversations.
  • Discuss withdrawal of life-sustaining measures in alternative settings to the intensive care setting.
  • Outline operating room recovery processes.
  • Describe model practices, such as interdisciplinary donation councils and donor case reviews, to increase collaboration between OPOs, transplant centers, and hospitals.
  • Provide additional resources for implementing effective DCD donation processes.

All times Eastern (ET).

  • 11:00am – 11:15am – Welcome & Framing
  • 11:15am – 11:30am – Introduction to DCD – Dr. Dan Lebovitz (Donor Alliance)
  • 11:30am – 11:50am – Essential 1: Regulatory & Accreditation – Michael Kenney (CORE)
  • 11:50am – 12:10pm – Essential 2: Identification of a Potential DCD Donor – Crystal Yancey (Lifeshare OK)
  • 12:10pm – 12:30pm – Essential 3: Evaluation – John Edwards (Gift of Life Donor Program)
  • 12:30pm – 12:45pm – Break
  • 12:45pm – 1:25pm – Essential 4: Donation Conversation – Schawnte Williams-Taylor (The Alliance)
  • 1:25pm – 1:55pm – Break
  • 1:55pm – 2:15pm – Essential 5: Donor Management – Dr. Rondi Gelbard (UAB)
  • 2:15pm – 2:45pm – Essential 6: Allocation – Dr. Macey Levan (NYU)
  • 2:45pm – 3:10pm – Essential 7: WLST – Dr. Adam Schiavi (Hopkins)
  • 3:10pm – 3:40pm – Essential 8: OR Procedure & Perfusion Techniques – Dr. Mark Hobeika (UTHealth / Memorial Hermann)
  • 3:40pm -3:55pm – Essential 9: Post DCD Recovery or Non-Recovery – Dr. Wynne Morrison (CHOP)
  • 3:55pm – 4:10pm – Break
  • 4:10pm – 4:30pm – Essential 10: Pediatric and Neonatal DCD Donation – Dr. Dan Lebovitz (Donor Alliance)
  • 4:30pm – 4:45pm – Essential 11: Continuous Quality Improvement Activities – Shante Wells (LifeGift)
  • 4:45pm – 5:00pm – Course Debrief and Dismissal