The COVID-19 global pandemic has created a level of uncertainty within the organ donation and transplantation community of practice. Since the outbreak, there have been significant delays in the procurement of vital organs. Still, Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) are continuing to exhaust every effort to facilitate life-saving transplants for those in need. Now, more than ever, hospitals have become the vital link between donation and a successful organ transplant. Without the support of a hospital and its staff, OPOs cannot continue to facilitate donation. This begs the question, how can OPOs effectively connect with more hospital partners to keep them engaged as advocates during such an unprecedented time? Anatomy of a Donation Champion
Strategies for Engaging & Developing Advocates for Donation
The advocacy of a hospital “Donation Champion” has the potential to significantly impact the success of donation. Through positive influence and the counseling of their peers, Donation Champions can draw institutional attention to the best practices associated with organ donation. To effectively engage hospital staff, it’s important to:
- Develop relationships based on mutual interest and leverage pre-established relationships to continue building a network.
- Provide opportunities for engagement (e.g. Donation Committees, Education, Flag Raising, etc.)
- Understand one’s motivation based on their interests and the role they play in their respective organization.
- Empower donation champions to engage and develop interest of new donation champions. (e.g. Peer to Peer Development opportunities, Executive Leadership meeting Attendance and Report Outs, etc.)
- Utilize case studies to identify gaps and opportunities for process improvement.
- Share donation outcomes with those involved in the care of the donor and the donation process. 7. Expose donation champions to OPO leadership. 8. Establish a donation committee. In light of COVID-19, consider hosting virtual donation committee meetings and educational opportunities.
Anatomy of a Donation Champion
The content of this issue was, in part, based on a webinar presentation coordinated and presented by:
- Erika Wilkerson, Donation Liaison, Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network
- Deepak Nair, MD, Director of Inpatient Neuroscience Services, OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center
- Diane Harney, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Nursing Director of Adult Critical Care, Cardiac and Palliative Care Service, OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center
- Matthew Gorman, DO, Medical Director of Quality and Safety, Assistant Chief Medical Officer, OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center
- Jamie Harwood, BSN, RN, Peoria County Coroner A special thanks to our presenters for their contributions to this inservice.
