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Bret Simmons

MHA
In 2026, I am answering the call to... serve families as they find the courage to say yes!
Job Title: Director, Family Support
Organization: Mid-America Transplant
Age: 34
Years in Donation and Transplantation: 2
What makes your career in organ donation and transplantation special?

What makes my career in organ donation and transplantation special is the deeply personal perspective and high-energy leadership I bring to this work. I understand transplantation not only as a healthcare professional, but as someone who has experienced it as family. My family has lived the life-saving impact of transplantation as recipients, and I have also experienced profound loss—losing my brother, a registered organ donor, before my transition into the OPO space. These experiences give me a genuine and lasting understanding of grief, courage, and hope, as well as the urgency felt by those who are waiting for a lifesaving gift.
This perspective fuels my passion, optimism, and drive every day. It reminds me that behind every donation are real families on both sides of the gift—families saying goodbye, and families given more time. Leading our Family Support team means ensuring that donor families receive compassionate, ethical, and effective support during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
What makes this work meaningful is the chance to turn my own family’s story into better care for others, building teams and systems that honor every donor and walk alongside every family with dignity and respect.

Biography

Bret Simmons, MHA, is an accomplished healthcare leader with a strong background in strategy, compliance, and family-centered care, currently serving as Director of Family Support at Mid-America Transplant. He earned his master’s degree in healthcare administration and was recognized as the Healthcare Administration Graduate Student of the Year by the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Bret began his career in professional services and consulting, developing deep expertise in strategy, risk and compliance, and process improvement. His work with the Department of Health & Human Services in developing a strategic plan for organ, eye, and tissue donation for the state of Missouri proved a defining experience—one made deeply personal when his grandfather received the gift of life through a double lung transplant. In his current role, he leads a Family Support and regional operations team serving three states and 84 counties, ensuring compassionate, ethical, and effective support for donor families, and was honored with Moore Global’s inaugural Emerging Leader Award.

He was nominated for The Alliance 40 Under 40 by Kevin Lee, CEO of Mid-America Transplant. “Bret’s work exemplifies leadership, innovation, and collaboration,” Lee wrote, describing how Bret has strengthened donor family care through standardized onboarding, refined approaches to family conversations, and highly visible community partnerships across Southeast Missouri.