Upper Midwest Organ Procurement Organization / Lifesource

Organ Procurement: the Organ Procurement department works collaboratively with hospital staff in the Lifesource donor service area (Minnesota, north dakota, south dakota, and a portion of western Wisconsin) to identify potential Organ donors, provide support to families throughout the donation process, support protocols established by the united network for Organ sharing to match the organs with the intended recipient, coordinate all clinical activities and arrange the surgical recovery of organs. Donation coordinators in conjunction with donor services center staff acquire known information about an individual's documented designation for donation. If no known documentation exists, the coordinator will work with the next-of-kin to obtain authorization for donation. In 2023, Lifesource managed 255 Organ donation cases, resulting in 778 Organ transplants. In addition, staff coordinated the import and subsequent transplant of 565 organs from donors outside the Lifesource region for transplantation in the Lifesource region. These services support the work of nine transplant programs located in the Lifesource service area.

Public education:lifesource maintains a strong commitment to public education activities designed to increase awareness and understanding about the need for Organ and tissue donation in the Lifesource region. The Lifesource region has an overall 70% registered donor rate, among the highest in the nation. The education activities are focused on developing external relationships for the purpose of building support for donation and positioning Lifesource as the donation expert in the region. This work is critical as the growing need for organs and tissues will not be met without increased public support and individuals who designate themselves as donors through the state driver's license bureaus or online state donor registry. In 2023, 245 volunteers supported the Lifesource mission through high school and community education. The public education department also worked to increase donation through media campaigns, community outreach initiatives, government relations and donor family services.

Tissue and eye Procurement: Lifesource tissue recovery staff coordinated 896 tissue donation cases, resulting in the transplant of approximately 63,916 tissue grafts consisting of bone, connective tissue, fascia, skin, vein and heart valves. Lifesource tissue recovery staff also coordinated 100 eye donation cases, resulting in corneas recovered for transplant and research.

Hospital services:the hospital services department is committed to maximizing Organ and tissue donation by building successful relationships with key staff members of 279 donor hospitals located throughout the Lifesource region. Lifesource hospital liaisons and clinical hospital coordinators are strategically located in minneapolis, mn; duluth, mn; fargo, nd; bismarck, nd; and rapid city, sd. The goals of this department include maintaining strong working relationships with hospital staff, providing education to clinicians, assisting hospital staff comply with federal standards and on-site support during donation cases.