Power of One Team – Evergreen Hospital Medical Center
Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland, WA is a Level III trauma center that typically has two or less organ donors per year. Over a 3 month period in 2010, Evergreen supported 4 patients that became organ donors. This would not have been possible without the efforts of an interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, social workers, surgical staff, spiritual care, hospital administration, LifeCenter Northwest staff, and countless others. “The collaboration between the donor hospital and LifeCenter Northwest is like a finely tuned orchestra…it is only complete with all the pieces,” says EHMC Critical Care Nurse Manager Marta Grapensteter.
The organ donation process is intense, very time sensitive and requires an extreme amount of communication and collaboration. Having a team that communicates well with each other throughout each step of the organ donation process is vital. Evergreen has repeatedly referred patients in a timely manner to LifeCenter Northwest. The hospital staff has coordinated with LifeCenter to discuss donation options with families when appropriate. LifeCenter has sent Family Support staff onsite to work collaboratively to support these families in traumatic grief. The labs at Evergreen have run tests to ensure organ safety and viability. The Evergreen operating room staff have moved elective surgeries to adjust for every-changing organ recovery timing based on the needs of transplant centers. One Hospital, One Team, Four Organ Donors, Eleven Lives Saved. Never underestimate the Power of One.
The Power of One Action – Gary Goldfogel M.D.
Organ and tissue donation saves or improves thousands of lives each year and it is the actions of our community members and leaders that make it possible. The Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office, under the leadership of Gary Goldfogel M.D., partners with the local medical community to ensure that whenever possible they accommodate those who wish to donate life-saving organs and tissue. When a patient is in a hospital setting on ventilator support and death is imminent, LifeCenter Northwest works closely with the family to provide information and assistance regarding the donation process. If the family makes a donation request following the death of the loved one the Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office works collaboratively with the hospital staff, LifeCenter Northwest, and the family to ensure the request is accommodated.
“Dr. Goldfogel’s steadfast support for donation translates into many lives saved and enhanced,” says Rob Houghton, Hospital Services Tissue Specialist for LifeCenter Northwest. “His office is an excellent example of a medical examiner office serving as an advocate for its community in regards to organ, eye, and tissue donation. His willingness to proactively work with LifeCenter Northwest and hospital staff and to release for donation whenever possible impacts countless lives.”
Dr. Goldfogel was appointed Whatcom County Medical Examiner in 1988
In his own words, Dr. Goldfogel says, “The Medical Examiner’s Office exists to benefit the living by investigation of the deceased. All autopsies are performed to improve the lives of family, community and the legal system. Participation in organ and tissue donation is a principle mission of the Whatcom County Medical Examiner Office. We work hard to allow the departed to provide the gift of improving the lives of the living when such activity is the will of the departed’s family, in balance with needs of the legal system and the state of the art in organ procurement technology and policy.”
Last year, the Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s office facilitated the donation of organs, eyes, and tissue from a number of people in collaboration with LifeCenter Northwest. It is because of one action that a wish to be a donor is granted and lives are saved.
The Power of One Community – Ketchikan, Alaska
The ENTIRE community had to pull together to make one of LifeCenter Northwest’s most amazing (and true) donor stories happen. It was the middle of an Alaskan winter, and a horrible blizzard could not have come at a worse time. The airport was closed, and we were in the middle of managing an organ donor at Ketchikan General Hospital. For those of you not familiar with Alaskan geography, the only way in or out of the island community of Ketchikan is by plane or boat. More than 900 miles north of the nearest transplant center, a plane was the only option that would get the life saving organs to the waiting recipients in time. We were at a standstill. Time was running out, but the blizzard was far from over. Then, to make matters even worse, there was a large scale earthquake somewhere west of us in the Pacific Ocean. Now Ketchikan was on high alert with a tsunami warning!
In the middle of this adversity the community rose up and came together for the donor, his family, and the patients waiting on the other end. The hospital was not about to let a little inclement weather stand in the way of saving lives. The ICU manager at the time, Kendall Sawa, called his friend at the airport, explained the situation and got it re-opened for us. They were able to find someone to volunteer to come in and continuously plow the runway for several hours, as our surgical teams flew in. Kendall also got in touch with the man who owns the ferry company and he agreed to come out and run a ferry from the airport (on a separate island) to the mainland for us in the middle of a tsunami warning.
It was one natural disaster after another, but we were able to make it happen with the help of an entire community.
The funny thing was that not only did we need the support of so many people in the community, but we also need to convince the transplant surgeons to get on a plane and fly thru a blizzard, land on an icy runway at a closed airport, and take a ferry through the water in the middle of a tsunami warning to a small hospital in Ketchikan Alaska– all to make donation possible.
It worked. In the end 4 lives were saved; his heart, liver and both kidneys were transplanted into very lucky recipients. Without the amazing and tireless support of this hospital and the community of Ketchikan none of this would have been possible.
The Airport In Ketchikan, Alaska
Ketchikan General Hospital
The Power of One Champion – Bob Chapman
Organ donation is a rare and time-consuming process for hospital staff. Without internal support of the process, successful recoveries would be impossible. At Valley Medical Center in Renton, WA, Critical Care Nurse Manager Bob Chapman is the driving force behind the donation program. He is committed to providing top-notch service to donor families, the care team at Valley Medical Center, and the staff of LifeCenter Northwest.
Under Bob’s care, an effective donation council is in place at Valley; yearly education for all appropriate departments is always completed; and donor families have returned to the facility to share their experiences. The number of timely referral calls climbed as Bob rounded the critical care unit each morning reminding nurses to refer appropriate patients. His efforts have developed a knowledgeable team at Valley Medical that supports the donation process.
In his own words, Bob says, “As chair of Valley Medical Center’s Donation Council, I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Valley team members and community partners to identify specific activities and strategies that we can implement to increase the potential for organ, eye, and tissue donation. The work of the donation council communicates to all participants that transplantation works and each of us can play a role that benefits members of our community.”
LifeCenter Northwest is grateful to Bob Chapman, a true champion for organ, eye, and tissue donation.
The Power of One Champion – Kevin Henry
Since 2007 Kevin Henry, Cultural Diversity Coordinator for the City of Bellevue, has championed donation in the Northwest!
It all started when he lead a series of trainings for LifeCenter Northwest employees where we identified the need to better serve our diverse region. Kevin’s network of leaders and decision makers in the local community are tremendous, and through his connections our Diversity Program flourished. As a result of his commitment to organ, eye and tissue donation, other prominent organizations learned about the cause and invited our team to events that brought visibility to the Donate Life brand, allowed us to engage in dialogue about misperceptions and build solid relationships.
The media exposure he provided by interviewing individuals touched by donation and LifeCenter Northwest staff on various radio programs exposed listeners to the facts around the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act and addressed deep seated myths that contribute to the critical shortage of organ donors. He has made a significant impact as a Donation Champion, and his endorsement continues to lend credibility to our programs, and provide opportunities for outreach at every turn.
Kevin was the MC for United for Life, LifeCenter’s National Minority Donor Awareness Event
Kevin Henry (L) interviewed students involved in LifeCenter’sYouth Education Program on the Afrogenesis Radio show.
The Power of One Champion – Nancy Pedersen
Nancy Pedersen is a dedicated social worker at Morton General Hospital. The small facility has a nursing home in addition to acute care beds. Nancy works tirelessly to support patients and their families – including those who are dealing with end of life decisions. It is clear from Nancy’s dedication that her role is more than a “job.” Shereturns after hours and answers messages, even on evenings and weekends. She facilitates education opportunities and proactively works to help donation be a seamless process at Morton General, even though logistical issues, such as location, can make tissue and cornea recovery more challenging. Nancy is committed to providing exceptional patient care, and part of that is ensuring every family eligible for tissue and cornea donation is presented with the option in an appropriate way.
The Power of One Champion – Dr. Mary King
A donation champion can make a huge impact on donation outcomes for families. Dr. Mary King is a Pediatric Intensive Care physician, who works at Seattle Children’s Hospital and Harborview Medical Center. Over the last two years, she has helped establish a strong process for donation at both facilities when there is a potential donor. Dr. King offers an insider perspective on the donation process. She consistently works to educate her colleagues about the importance of donation, identify opportunities for process improvement, and ensure every potential donor family gets the support needed to make an informed decision about donation.
The Power of One Champion – Jack Hawkins
For July we are celebrating the Power of One Champion. There are many donation champions throughout our community and we will be featuring the stories of a few over the coming weeks. Jack Hawkins is one example of a champion for donation.
Jack Hawkins took over the Yakima County Coroner’s office in May of 2009 when the previous long-time coroner retired. Jack, who had served for more than three years as deputy coroner, had always been a proponent of donation. Unfortunately, in that roll, he didn’t have the power to release for donation. He watched from the sidelines while Yakima became one of the counties with the highest coroner decline rate.
Upon his appointment as Yakima County Coroner, and subsequent election, he has worked very closely with the hospitals and families to ensure that donation is an option. Even more importantly, Jack has gone out of his way to teach the county’s prosecutors that a decline isn’t the only way to run a criminal case. The prosecution office now knows that they can work with LifeCenter Northwest throughout an investigation to safeguard evidence, and still allow donation in their community.
The Power of One Decision – Bronson Parsons
Twenty-five-year old Bronson Parsons of Troy, Montana was born and raised in Montana. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved snowboarding, hunting, fishing, hiking, cliff diving, bungee jumping and skydiving. His dream was to fly helicopters and he had nearly completed his pilot’s license. However, his promising young life was cut short on January 1, 2008, when he was struck from behind by a hit-and-run driver. He suffered extensive head injuries and was declared brain dead. Bronson had been profoundly influenced by a close family friend who had donated a kidney to her 17-year-old daughter. When he got his first driver’s license, he enthusiastically registered his desire to become an organ, eye, and tissue donor and proudly told his parents that if anything happened to him, he wanted to help others through this precious gift of life. Bronson’s organs were transplanted into four people waiting for a second chance at life, 30 others have benefited from tissue donation and another received a cornea. “We have tried to use Bronson’s decision to be a donor as a positive focus for our own healing from this tragic loss. It was his nature to think of others,” Carol, Bronson’s mother, said. “Our family will always miss Bronson, but we can take pride and some comfort knowing he lives on by helping the people he donated to. We are so proud that Bronson made this decision ahead of time and wanted to give in this special way. It exemplifies his character as a very loving and caring person.”
Watch the video below to see more of Bronson’s story.
The Power of One Decision – Becky Pierce
This month we are celebrating the Power of One Decision. Donation is a rare opportunity, and it is vital for donor hospitals to be ready, willing and able to support the donation process when this rare opportunity presents.
At Harborview Medical Center, one key decision has greatly contributed to the readiness of the hospital to support donation. In the summer of 2008, Becky Pierce, Assistant Administrator, agreed to support a nursing training program focused on donation, which is now called the Donation Leaders Program. This decision lead to in-depth training of over 40 nurses on donation. Today, the Donation Leaders team helps ensure a smooth process for the donor family, the hospital, and LifeCenter Northwest. Since 2008, the donation rate at Harborview has risen 16%. One reason for this increase is the donation leaders team, and the decision by Becky Pierce to support a new program. As a result, more families will gain solace through donation and more recipient lives will be saved.
