Transplant Centers of Excellence

• How to plan and develop comprehensive transplant services and programs from the ground up to deliver effective, high quality care
• Reimbursement issues and return on investment
• Improving quality of care, staff efficiency and cooperation, while reducing LOS and indirect costs
• The role of rehab and post-hospitalization programs
• Staffing models – recruiting
• Improved outcomes resulting from a focus of Certification
• Emerging trends and strategic opportunities in organ procurement and transplantation
• Integrative medicine and nutrition for the solid transplant patient
• Strategies to alleviate pressures from acute organ shortage
• Improve working knowledge of CMS guidelines for transplant and their impact on continuity of care
• Structuring transplant centers for success – program affiliations, accreditations, experiences and staff
• Immune suppression regimens to dampen acute rejection, and necessitating regimens to counteract side-effects
• Streamlining services from eligibility to post-transplant rehabilitation and maintenance
• Expanding transplant services beyond the standard – intestine, face and hand transplantation
• Transplant QAPI programs – defining, implementing and evaluating performance improvement
• FACT distinction, accreditation, and recertification
• The future of organ procurement and transplantation – tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

• CEOs, COOs, and CTOs
• VPs of Transplant Services
• Administrative Directors of Transplant Services
• Medical Directors of Transplant Services
• Transplant Coordinators
• Quality Specialists, Transplantation
• QAPI Directors/Managers
• Transplant Nurse Managers
• Pharmacists

Charity Air Ambulance

Charity Air Ambulance is a privately funded organization that was created to assist patients in their critical times of need and provide a new source of funding for patients who meet certain criteria. With the aid of our private partners and affiliates, Charity Air Ambulance helps coordinate and secure patients medically warranted, long-distance air ambulance transfers.

Website: www.charityairambulance.com

Trinity Air Medical

Trinity Air Medical is an organization committed to transplant team travel, organ transportation, blood samples and medical equipment movement. In 2015 Trinity Air Medical was honored to have been chosen as the official transportation provider for Donor Network of Arizona. Since then thousands of organ recipient patients relied upon Trinity Air Medical to deliver some of the most precious cargo; living organs, tissue and the dedicated organ procurement transplant personnel. Our team of professionals achieved 100% compliance on over 1,500 donor related service requests in the past 12 months. We look forward to another amazing year partnering with Donor Network of Arizona and now over 20 plus transplant hospitals and organ procurement organizations to help patients receive life.

Website: www.trinityairmedical.com

Vital Therapies, Inc.

Vital Therapies®, Inc. (VTL) is a biotherapeutic company developing ELAD®, an extracorporeal human hepatic cell-based liver treatment. ELAD is designed to improve survival in patients with liver failure by providing hepatic support continuously for up to five days. The ELAD System incorporates approximately 440 grams of our human liver-derived cells contained in four hollow-fiber cartridges that are combined with disposable components and a reusable delivery device. VTL is currently conducting a Phase 3 trial in acute alcoholic hepatitis. For more information, please visit www.aahstudy.com.

Website: www.vitaltherapies.com
PDF: Vital Therapies 2-Page Biography

Nationwide Organ Recovery Transport Alliance

NORA, the Nationwide Organ Recovery Transport Alliance works with OPOs, Transplant Centers, Living Donor Networks and Laboratories around the country providing the perfect “One Call Solution” solely for Air and Ground Organ Recovery Transportation. Efficiency, attention to details, understanding critical time management, budget constraints and the importance of your program to the community makes NORA the perfect addition to the Organ Procurement recovery process.

Website: www.noratrans.com
PDF: NORA 5-Page Biography

American Association of Kidney Patients

AAKP is a voluntary non-profit organization founded by kidney patients, which for 45 years, has been dedicated to improving the quality of life of kidney patients through education, advocacy and the fostering of patient communities. The programs offered by AAKP inform and inspire patients and their families to better understand their condition, adjust more readily to their circumstances, and assume more normal, productive lives in their communities. Our events and webinars are designed to help those become more engaged in their healthcare journey. AAKP’s Delicious! Cookbooks help guide those living with kidney disease to a better way of eating.

Website: www.aakp.org

Ava’s Heart

Ava’s Heart is a unique nonprofit charity dedicated to providing financial assistance for organ transplant patients who cannot afford necessary treatment and care. Founded by heart transplant recipient Ava Kaufman, Ava’s Heart has quickly become the primary organization in the US for transplant patients and their families. We provide pretransplant and post-transplant patients a wide variety of basic essentials not covered by insurance like housing, food, gas, medications, strollers, car seats, dental work, hearing aids, etc. We will even upgrade the electricity in a home that is not up to code so their mechanical device (LVAD or artificial heart) will work reliably . Without outside financial assistance, many families go broke, or even worse, some patients do not survive. Ava’s Heart also provides emotional and psychological support, as well as other resources and refuge for both transplant patients on the waiting list, as well as those who now have to deal with the realities of post-transplant care.

Website: www.avasheart.org

Children’s Organ Transplant Association

The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) is a national charity based in Bloomington, Indiana, which is dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-related expenses. COTA’s priority is to assure that no child or young adult is denied a transplant or excluded from a transplant waiting list due to lack of funds. 100% of funds raised in honor of patients are used for transplant-related expenses. COTA has raised over $100 million to assist transplant families in all fifty states.

Website: www.cota.org

Chris Klug Foundation

Founded in 2003, The Chris Klug Foundation advocates for organ and tissue donation and inspires those touched by transplantation. Chris Klug was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare disease for which the only cure is a liver transplant. He received a liver transplant and went on to win a bronze medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics, a mere 18 months post transplant. Soon thereafter, Chris started the Chris Klug Foundation.

Website: www.chrisklugfoundation.org

HeartBrothers Foundation

Founded in 2014, the HeartBrothers Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation dedicated to helping patients and families navigate the complicated financial world of Heart Failure (HF), Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD’s) and Heart Transplantation. Our mission is to fill financial gaps for patients by offering them essential support through medical insurance assistance programs, informative stress-coping resources, and connections to the global heart failure community.

Website: www.heartbrothers.org

John Brockington Foundation

Since 2002, the mission of the John Brockington Foundation has been to create a culture in which organ donation is commonplace; to provide financial and resource support for those donating, awaiting, and/or receiving organs; and to promote health education to minority communities who are disproportionately represented on the transplant waiting list.

After retiring from the NFL, John lost renal function. After receiving a friend’s kidney (2001), he founded JBF (2002), and married his donor Diane in 2003. Together, they’ve created a foundation that screens and assists San Diego dialysis and transplant patients, and funds uncovered costs of living donors.

Website: www.johnbrockingtonfoundation.org

The Living Bank

The Living Bank was one of the first organ donor education organizations in America.  For over 47 years our mission has been to increase awareness and advocate for organ transplant donors and their families.  Today, we focus on living kidney donation because 82% of the national transplant wait list needs a life-saving kidney transplant.  Services include advocacy for living kidney donors before, during, and after the donation process, community outreach initiatives, free continuing education to health professional in the transplant community, and post-transplant support for living donors through our Living Donor Forum.  See a complete list of our programs here: www.livingbank.org/what-we-do.

Website: www.livingbank.org

The Living Kidney Donors Network

LKDN is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization whose primary Mission is to help those in need of a kidney transplant develop a successful Kidney Kampaign to find a living donor. LKDN has helped hundreds of those in need and those who are interested in being a kidney donor through the transplant process. LKDN founder, Harvey Mysel facilitates workshops, webinars, conference calls and is guest speaker about living kidney donation at many transplant related conventions.

LKDN has a national network of trained volunteers; transplant recipients and kidney donors who speak to fraternal and religious groups about the need for living kidney donors.

Website: www.lkdn.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/livingkidneydonorsnetwork

Northeast Kidney Foundation

The mission of the Northeast Kidney Foundation is to improve the lives of those affected by kidney disease and related conditions; to increase organ donation; and to empower those we serve to be effective voices for better healthcare at the local, state and federal levels.

Website: www.healthykidneys.org

Second Wind Lung Transplant Association

Second Wind is a national nonprofit organization and was founded in 1995 by a caring group of lung transplant recipients and their families. Their Mission was to improve the quality of life for lung transplant recipients, lung surgery candidates, people with related pulmonary concerns and their families, caregivers and friends by providing support, advocacy, education, information and guidance through a spirit of service, adding years to their lives and life to their years. This Mission is accomplished in part by providing an Internet Email Support Group; publishing the AirWays Newsletter; offering a Peer Support Program; a toll-free Help Line; and a Financial Assistance Program. The Financial Assistance Program pays for costs not covered by insurance such as medication co-pays, transportation costs; temporary lodging; and even insurance premiums.

Website: www.2ndwind.org