Dear Friends,
LifeGift is honored to serve the mission of organ, eye and tissue donation through the generosity of donors and their families who offered hope this past year. Our teams helped coordinate the recovery of 471 organ donors, resulting in 1,394 organs transplanted and 87 organs recovered and used for research. In addition, LifeGift coordinated the recovery of tissue from 761 donors. As LifeGift looks to the future and works to expand hope, we’ve made significant progress in promoting diversity and inclusion in our mission to save lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. Central to this effort is our Multicultural Advisory Committee, a diverse group of LifeGift team members who provide valuable guidance and feedback. This committee plays a crucial role in strengthening our outreach and education efforts, ensuring we effectively engage the multicultural communities we serve. LifeGift is dedicated to adopting emerging research and new technologies. One example is LifeGift’s collaboration with Paragonix Technologies and its groundbreaking portable renal perfusion system, KidneyVault™, designed to perfuse a kidney and provide real-time insight on the preservation conditions of a kidney in transit between donor and recipient. The potential to perfuse donor kidneys in transit with real-time monitoring is an incredible advancement that can increase the availability of high- quality donor kidneys. The device allows us to provide our transplant center partners with recovered kidneys that have been perfused throughout the journey regardless of the transportation mode, while providing real-time insight on preservation temperature, pressure, and GPS location. Paragonix’s portable device provides the ability to transport via commercial aircraft significantly decreasing costs compared to charter flights. This will facilitate
broader sharing of machine-perfused kidneys and will result in greater use of recovered kidneys for transplant. This past year, LifeGift’s Institute for the Future of Transplantation Simulation Center (LIFT SIM Center) received Provisional Accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, becoming the nation’s first organ procurement organization to earn this recognition. To further LifeGift’s training efforts, the LIFT team welcomed its newest teaching tool, SAM, officially known as an “auscultation manikin.” Designed to elevate the training experience, SAM offers unparalleled capabilities that enhance the accuracy and depth of medical simulation. We also recognize the invaluable contributions of our dedicated partners who help facilitate the donation process. These include physicians, surgeons, nurses, critical care staff, funeral homes, coroners, medical examiners, first responders, community leaders, tissue processors, eye banks, donation advocates and many others. We owe the ultimate gratitude to our donors and their families – they’re the true heroes of our ever- expanding story, and we’re honored to help their legacies live on. We remain humbled and offer our sincerest thanks to all who offer support of Partnerships Driving Transformation.
With gratitude,
Lance Black, MD, MBID LifeGift Board of Directors Chair Senior Associate Dean of Innovation & Strategic Projects, Texas A&M University
Kevin A. Myer, MSHA LifeGift President & CEO
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