What makes your career in organ donation and transplantation special? What makes my career in organ donation and transplantation unique is the perspective I bring—one built from the ground up, across clinical care, education, operations, and national-level strategy.
I didn’t enter this field from the outside. I have stood in the middle of time-critical decisions in the field, at the bedside, and in the operating room, where outcomes are measured in minutes and lives. That clinical foundation, paired with more than a decade educating clinicians, gives me a level of situational awareness and judgment that extends far beyond traditional clinical excellence or business leadership.
I understand the clinical urgency of donor management and organ recovery, the operational complexity of coordinating case logistics, and the strategic demands of building scalable, reliable systems across a national footprint. Few individuals have lived each of those layers and can translate between them effectively.
My work today sits at the intersection of my past experience, where critical care, logistics, and business acumen must function as a single, seamless system. In a space where failure is not an option, my role is to ensure that every link in the chain performs with precision, accountability, and respect for what is being carried. I understand that this is not simply logistics or operations. Every decision is tied to a donor, a family, and a recipient whose life depends on getting it right. That understanding shapes how I lead, how I build relationships, and how I define success.
My contributions to the American Board for Transplant Certification’s quinquennial 2025 Job Task Analysis, along with my active credentials as a Certified Transplant Preservationist and Nationally Registered Paramedic, reflect both technical expertise and a commitment to advancing this profession.
Ultimately, my career is unique because it bridges worlds that rarely connect—clinical care, transportation, and strategy—while never losing sight of the human impact at the center of it all.
Matthew Freil, CTP, NRP, is a senior leader in logistics and healthcare operations with a career dating back to 2006 and more than 14 years dedicated to organ donation and transplantation. His experience spans emergency medicine, transplant logistics, and complex transportation systems, defined by leading in high-stakes, no-fail environments where trust, precision, and composure are critical—all while honoring the responsibility of the gifts of life entrusted to the transplant system.
Matthew began his career in public safety and emergency medical services as an advanced practice paramedic and critical care leader, and served as a clinical educator for more than a decade across Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. He later transitioned into organ donation as a Senior Organ Recovery Coordinator with LifeNet Health, leading donor care, operating room coordination, and multi-organ recovery operations, before advancing into leadership with Buckeye Transplant Services, where he managed more than 50 donation professionals supporting transplant programs nationwide. Today, he serves in a senior leadership role within a nationwide aviation and logistics organization dedicated to supporting organ donation and transplantation, overseeing complex transportation solutions across Part 135 charter aviation, onboard courier services, and commercial airline cargo networks.
Across every role, Matthew brings a perspective built from the ground up—one that bridges clinical care, transportation, and strategy while keeping the donor, the family, and the recipient at the center of every decision.
