Iowa Donor Network

TO SAVE AND ENHANCE LIVES THROUGH ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION.

ORGAN AND TISSUE RECOVERY:IOWA DONOR NETWORK (IDN) IS A NON-PROFIT 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION THAT OPERATES AS THE PRIMARY CONTACT FOR ORGAN, TISSUE AND EYE DONATION SERVICES IN THE STATE OF IOWA. THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES (CMS) HAS CERTIFIED IDN TO FUNCTION AS THE SINGLE ORGAN PROCUREMENT ORGANIZATION SERVING THE STATE OF IOWA. IDN ALSO PROVIDES TISSUE RECOVERY SERVICES. IN 2021, ORGAN RECOVERY SERVICES GENERATED $24,046,800 IN REVENUES WHILE TISSUE RECOVERY SERVICES CONTRIBUTED $8,345,821 TOWARD REVENUES. THROUGH REFERRAL CALLS FROM MORE THAN 270 IOWA HOSPITALS, HEALTH CENTERS AND REHABILITATION FACILITIES, NURSING HOMES, HOSPICES, MEDICAL EXAMINER OFFICES AND EMS AGENCIES. IDN EVALUATES OVER 14,000 PATIENT DEATHS PER YEAR FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION. TO MAINTAIN THIS REFERRAL NETWORK AND PROVIDE ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION SERVICES, IDN ENGAGES IN MANY INTERRELATED ACTIVITIES: ORGAN AND TISSUE RECOVERY, ORGAN DISTRIBUTION BOTH OF LOCALLY RECOVERED ORGANS AND THOSE BROUGHT IN FROM OUT-OF-STATE DONORS, PUBLIC EDUCATION AND AWARENESS ACTIVITIES, HOSPITAL AND COMMUNITY DONOR REFERRAL DEVELOPMENT, AND DONOR FAMILY CARE AND FOLLOW-UP SERVICES. AN IDN DONATION COORDINATOR MANAGES THE IDENTIFICATION, EVALUATION AND MEDICAL MAINTENANCE OF ORGAN AND TISSUE DONORS. THIS INCLUDES, ASSISTING OR PERFORMING THE SURGICAL RECOVERY OF ORGANS AND TISSUES, AND COORDINATING THE PLACEMENT AND TRANSPORTATION OF RECOVERED ORGANS. IDN ALSO WORKS WITH IOWA LIONS EYE BANK TO FACILITATE EYE DONATION AND RECOVERY. IDN, SUPPORTED BY THE STATE OF IOWA, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST DONATION SERVICE AREAS IN THE UNITED STATES TO DEVELOP A DONOR REGISTRY AND ENACT FIRST PERSON CONSENT LEGISLATION. THE REGISTRY, COMBINED WITH LEGISLATION, ALLOWS IOWANS TO LEGALLY CONSENT TO ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION PRIOR TO DEATH. THIS PROCESS, MEMORIALIZING A DONOR'S DECISION, ALLEVIATES THE STRESS ON SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS OF TRYING TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION AT A VERY DIFFICULT TIME, DURING THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE. IOWA DONOR NETWORK IS FULLY ACCREDITED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF ORGAN PROCUREMENT ORGANIZATIONS (AOPO). IN 2021, IOWA DONOR NETWORK PROVIDED LIFE-SAVING ORGANS TO WAITING RECIPIENTS FROM 171 DONORS. IN ADDITION, LIFE-SAVING AND LIFE-ENHANCING TISSUE WAS RECOVERED FROM 984 TISSUE DONORS. IDN'S COMMUNICATION CENTER RECEIVED MORE THAN 36,000 CALLS FROM IOWA HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE AND COMMUNITY AGENCIES REFERRING POTENTIAL ORGAN AND TISSUE DONORS. THIS 24-HOUR CALL CENTER PROVIDED DONOR FAMILIES WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CARE POSSIBLE. ANNUAL TRAINING WAS PROVIDED ON HOW TO CARE FOR FAMILIES DURING A CRISIS. THIS PROVIDED STAFF WITH VALUABLE TOOLS TO HELP SUPPORT GREIVING FAMILIES DURING THE DONATION PROCESS. IN ADDITION, IDN FOCUSED ON SELF-CARE FOR STAFF MEMBERS THROUGH TRAINING AND DEBRIEFINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

HOSPITAL DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND DONOR FAMILY SERVICES:IDN IS COMMITTED TO MEETING ALL HOSPITALS' EDUCATIONAL AND COMPLIANCE NEEDS REGARDING DONATION. THIS INCLUDES: TRAINING IN THE IDENTIFICATION, REFERRAL AND MANAGEMENT OF ORGAN DONORS, SENSITIVITY AND TIMING FOR APPROACHING POTENTIAL DONOR FAMILIES WITH THE OPTION OF DONATION AND REPORTING ON ORGAN AND TISSUE DONOR POTENTIAL AND OUTCOMES TO HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION FOR USE, AS NECESSARY, WITH THEIR OWN COMPLIANCE AND ACCREDITATION REPORTING. DURING 2021, IN CONTINUED RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC, NEARLY ALL OF THESE SERVICES WERE PROVIDED REMOTELY, MEETING HOSPITAL PATIENT SAFETY NEEDS. EVERY HOSPITAL, MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE, DMV OFFICE, AND EMS PROGRAM IN IOWA HAS AN ASSIGNED IDN REPRESENTATIVE WHOSE JOB IT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT PERSONNEL KNOW HOW AND WHEN TO CONTACT IDN FOR DONATION ASSISTANCE. IN 2021, DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, IDN CONTINUED TO PROVIDE ONLINE AND VIRTUAL CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR NURSING AND ALLIED HEALTH STAFF. AS ADEQUATE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) BECAME AVAILABLE, IDN RESUMED THEIR REGULAR, ONSITE DUTIES IN ASSIGNED HOSPITALS AND COMMUNITY AGENCIES WHILE FOLLOWING CDC GUIDANCE. IN 2021, WE PROVIDED OVER 250 PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION OFFERINGS, BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL.IDN STAFF WORK WITH HOSPITALS AND ASSIGNED AGENCIES TO DEVELOP PROTOCOLS OR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES RELATED TO REFERRAL FOR ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION. OTHER DUTIES INCLUDE: MEETING WITH HOSPITAL/ AGENCY LEADERSHIP AND PERSONNEL TO ENGAGE SUPPORT FOR ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION, FOLLOW-UP AFTER EACH ORGAN REFERRAL AND FOLLOW-UP WITH STAFF AFTER EACH ORGAN OR TISSUE RECOVERY. IN 2021, MANY OF THESE ROUTINE PROCESSES WERE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH VIRTUAL MEANS SUCH AS VIDEO CONFERENCING AND THORUGH EMAIL.IDN HAS A DEPARTMENT WITH TRAINED STAFF DEDICATED TO PROVIDING DONOR FAMILY CARE SERVICES AT THE TIME OF CRISIS AND FOR A PERIOD OF UP TO 24 MONTHS FOLLOWING DONATION IF SO DESIRED BY THE DONOR NEXT-OF-KIN. IOWA DONOR NETWORK PROVIDED GRIEF SUPPORT TO APPROXIMATELY 892 IOWA FAMILIES WHO HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE AND MADE THE GENEROUS DECISION TO DONATE.IDN'S PUBLIC EDUCATION FOCUS IS TO INCREASE DONATION AWARENESS AND ACCEPTANCE. WITH DATA FROM THE IOWA DONOR REGISTRY, THIS EFFORT IS FOCUSED ON REGIONS OF THE STATE (COUNTIES) WITH LOWER-THAN-AVERAGE DONOR REGISTRATIONS. IN 2021, IDN CONDUCTED 81 PUBLIC EDUCATION PRESENTATIONS WITH 14 DONE IN A VIRTUAL FORMAT. ACTIVITIES AND PROMOTIONS ARE ORGANIZED AND CONDUCTED BY IDN'S OUTREACH STAFF, WITH THE HELP OF VOLUNTEERS AND CONTRACTED ADVERTISING AND PR AGENCIES. PUBLIC EDUCATION INCLUDES: PRESENTATIONS TO CIVIC GROUPS, WORK-PLACES, DRIVER'S EDUCATION AND SPECIAL EVENTS. IN 2021 IOWA HAD OVER 1.6 MILLION RESIDENTS SIGNED UP TO THE IOWA DONOR REGISTRY. THE REGISTRY CAPTURES THE AUTHORIZATION OF ANYONE IN THE STATE MAKING THE DECISION TO BE A DONOR. IDN PROVIDES RESOURCES TO VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS AND SUPPORT GROUPS THROUGHOUT IOWA: THESE GROUPS ARE COMPOSED OF PEOPLE WAITING FOR TRANSPLANT, DONOR FAMILY MEMBERS, RECIPIENTS AND OTHER CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS. IDN IS ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERAL PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, INCLUDING THE NORTH AMERICAN TRANSPLANT COORDINATORS ORGANIZATION, THE ASSOCIATION OF ORGAN PROCUREMENT ORGANIZATIONS, THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MULTICULTURAL HEALTH AND TRANSPLANT PROFESSIONALS, THE AMERICAN BOARD OF TRANSPLANT COORDINATION, THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TISSUE BANKS AND THE UNITED NETWORK FOR ORGAN SHARING. IN COOPERATION WITH THE GUIDELINES SET FORTH BY THESE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND GOVERNING BODIES, ALONG WITH THE TRANSPLANT CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, DONATED ORGANS ARE ALLOCATED EQUITABLY TO TRANSPLANT PATIENTS ACCORDING TO NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION POLICIES.SINCE 2012 IDN HAS BEEN ON A PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT JOURNEY THROUGH THE IOWA RECOGNITION FOR PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE (IRPE) PROGRAM. USING THE BALDRIGE EXCELLENCE FRAMEWORK AS A TOOL, IDN IS ENGAGED IN A CONTINOUS REVIEW OF ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES, THE IDENTIFICATION OF AREAS OF STRENGTH AND OPPORTUNIY, AND THE DETERMINATION OF WHAT AND HOW IDN SHOULD IMPROVE OR CHANGE. THIS PROCESS ENABLES IDN TO CONTINUOUSLY IDENTIFY WAYS TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY SERVICES POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE ITS MISSION, VISION AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRIORITIES.