Acting on Every Donor’s Designated Decision:

The Time is Now!

Susan Stuart

I Said Yes

How To Act on Every Donor’s Designated Decision:

Hardwire Donor Designation in the OPO

• Create an Organizational Culture of Donor Designation Every Time

• Board Education• Involve Legal Counsel

– Availability 24/7• Training & Retraining of the

Requestors• Senior Requestor Availability• After Action Reviews

I Said Yes

How To Act on Every Donor’s Designated Decision: Hardwire Donor Designation in the Hospitals

Proactive Measures:

Meetings– CEOs– Risk Management– Nursing Administration – Medical Staff– Coroner/ME’s– End of Life Staff

• Write it into hospital donation policies• Conduct staff education

I Said Yes

How To Act on Every Donor’s Designated Decision:

Hardwire Donor Designation in the Community

Proactive Measures

• Community Outreach– Donors Rights Paramount

• Legislators

• Funeral Directors

• Media– All interviews first person

consent is honored

I Said Yes

How To Act on Every Donor’s Designated Decision: Without a Hardwire Donor Designation Process

• Respond with Affirmative Position– Notify Hospital CEO– Notify Legal (OPO & Hospital)– Notify Nursing Administration– Notify Media Relations

• Isolate the Direct Care team and OPC

• Gather all the Facts on Family Dynamics

I Said Yes

Establish Reasons for Family Opposition• Mistrust

– Show the document• Loss of control

– Avoid mix message to the family• Ask them about donation vs. informing them of the

designation• Community hospital case

– DCD • Give the family the opportunity to be present for

withdraw of care

• Anger– Involve End of Life Care Experts

I Said Yes

How To Act on Every Donor’s Designated Decision: Hardwire Donor Designation Process

After Action:• OPO Staff

– Debrief and provide support

• Hospital Staff– Debrief and provide recipient follow up

• Donor Family Follow-up– Donor family letters– Bereavement care– Respect families decision

I Said Yes

Why Act on Every Donor’s Designated Decision?

1. To Reduce OPO Variation in Practice

2. Meet Our Mission of Saving Lives