Increasing life-saving transplants through specialized donor care unit in Minneapolis
Organ donors provide the gift of life to thousands of people every year – making a life-changing difference for recipients on the organ transplant waiting list and their loved ones.
Caring for deceased organ donors is critical to making the most of their gift, by keeping donor organs as healthy possible for future recipients. That's why we are partnering with LifeSource to open a specialized donor care unit at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis. This new facility, the M Health Fairview Donor Care Unit will allow our transplant team to more efficiently and effectively care for deceased donor organs using the most advanced organ recovery techniques to ensure donors’ lifesaving gifts make it to transplant.
Donor care units have become the standard of care in deceased donor organ transplants. The National Academy of Sciences has recommended that they be widely used by organ procurement organizations (like LifeSource) nationwide. Our Donor Care Unit will help us increase the number of lives saved through organ donation in Minnesota and beyond. It will also allow for a more efficient donation process, easing the burden on the donor’s family.
“Our commitment to our donor families remains our number one priority,” said Andrew Adams, MD, PhD, executive medical director of solid organ transplant with M Health Fairview, and professor and chief of the Division of Transplantation at University of Minnesota Medical School. “The donor care unit will allow us to further our mission, better serve our community, and improve the way we work so we can heal and save more lives.”
M Health Fairview is home to one of the oldest and largest transplant centers in the world, with over 50 years of experience conducting more than 12,000 organ and stem cell transplants. We’re continuing this legacy of compassionate and innovative care through our new Donor Care Unit.
At the same time, LifeSource is also partnering with Mayo Clinic to open a similar donor care unit.
“LifeSource is thrilled to be collaborating with two leading healthcare systems in our region to save more lives through these donor care units, said Kelly White, LifeSource CEO. “These dedicated facilities will benefit donor families and waiting recipients along with hospitals and transplant centers.”
How does a donor care unit work?
Individuals who have authorized organ donation – either by registering on their driver’s license or the online donor registry – and meet donation criteria will be transferred from the hospital where they were receiving care to our Donor Care Unit. Referring hospitals will be able to continue recognizing deceased organ donors through an honor walk, commemorating their gift of life. Our transplant care team will be able to then care for their organs’ health and match them with a recipient.
What are the benefits?
The new donor care units in Minnesota will have dedicated care teams and equipment, including sophisticated imaging and diagnostic technology to optimize organ care, improving outcomes for transplant recipients, and efficiently managing donors’ gifts.
Donor care units also allow for quicker organ recovery so families can bring their loved one home sooner. In addition, transferring deceased donors to a dedicated organ care facility improves access to critical care beds at hospitals across Minnesota and beyond.
What to know about organ donation
There are currently over 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list, including over 2,000 in the Upper Midwest. Every nine minutes, a new name is added to the list. Organ donation continues to be rare – only 1% of people who die can donate their organs, due to several factors including their donor status and medical circumstances. When they’re able to give the gift of life, it’s critical that we do everything we can to perform a successful transplant for someone on the waiting list.
