A FAMILY COMES TOGETHER TO REMEMBER LifeCenter Northwest 2014 Annual Report
A FAMILY FINDS MEANING IN A TIME OF LOSS. The young nephew of organ donor Andrew Hernandez, honoring his uncle at the “Gift of Life” award ceremony at the Governor’s Office in Olympia, Washington.
The family of organ, eye, and tissue donor Rachel Givens, after completing a “floragraph” that appeared on the “Donate Life” float in the Pasadena Rose Parade.
Andrew Holt, recipient of a kidney and pancreas, with his daughter Harper Adie, at the LifeCenter Northwest/ SightLife Donation Celebration, August 2014. Andrew’s daughter is named after his donor, James Adie.
A FAMILY HELPS THOSE IN THE MOST NEED. Charlotte Newton, mother of a donor, meeting the recipient of her son’s kidney for the first time.
WE ARE AL
LL FAMILY
AND IN 2014, WE DID MORE THAN EVER TO SUPPORT THE FAMILIES OF LIFECENTER NORTHWEST.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Families are truly at the center of everything we do at LifeCenter Northwest. Families of the donors who give the priceless gift of life. Families of the patients who are waiting for life-saving and life-improving organs and tissues. Our own families, large and small, who support us in the work we do. In a sense, working together with our partner transplant programs and donor hospitals, we are a large family in service to others—collaborating towards a shared goal. All of these families inspire us to be the very best we can be. The courage and generosity of donor families in the midst of their grief; the tenacity, resolve, and optimism of the families of patients awaiting transplantation; and the gratitude and love of donor and recipient families, evidenced in their correspondence and interactions long after donation and transplantation.
Every day, we witness the best of humanity in these families—and it fuels our passion to help more and more people in need, year after year. We see our core values in them, especially respect and integrity. Immense respect for the donors, who leave a legacy of life for others—and deep integrity, in giving and accepting the gift of life, knowing that organ and tissue donation and transplantation is sacred, rare, and profound. In the end, in the ultimate expression of collaboration, the spark of life is passed on—from a single donor to many recipients, all given a second chance at life. As we reflect on our progress this year, we are truly grateful and honored to work with so many strong, courageous, and generous families.
KEVIN J. O’CONNOR President & CEO
FAMILIES ARE PRESENT IN THE MOMENT. We want every family of a donor to have a dedicated person from LifeCenter Northwest to stand by them— to provide comfort and support in the moment. In 2014, we grew our onsite Family Support program from one coordinator to five. In addition to increasing the number of Family Support Coordinators in 2014, we also adopted a new Compassionate Family Conversations training program. This program helps our staff have more supportive and meaningful conversations with the families of donors. After making these changes, we saw our overall authorization rate— a measure of how many families choose to make the gift of life—rise from 64% to 77%.
Jonathan Merker, Family Support Coordinator (FSC): “Having one dedicated person from LifeCenter—whose sole purpose is to be present with the family—shows the family just how meaningful and important their loved one’s gift is. “On a very general level, the FSC is the glue that holds the family, the hospital staff, the LifeCenter staff, and the donor together. We are the ones who ask families if they would want their loved one to live on by helping others. We are the ones who tell families when their loved one made that decision for them by joining the registry. “We help bring meaning into unexpected tragedy, by painting the picture of donation—by giving families a concrete example of their loved one’s love to hold onto amidst a torrent of loss. We aren’t afraid of death. We prepare families for what it will look, sound, and feel like when the hospital withdraws the ventilator support. We hold their hands as it happens, and we wrap the family in an Honor Quilt as they walk away from their loved one heading to the OR. We give really, really good hugs.”
Kateri Hitchcock, LCNW Organ Recovery Coordinator (center), speaks with Pediatric ICU staff at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital in Spokane, Washington.
Valerie Maury, LCNW Family Support Specialist, watches a balloon release with donor families at a Donation Celebration.
Families of donors receive
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ceramic hearts as just one memento of their loved one—and a way to remember their courageous act of donation.
INCREASE IN FAMILY SUPPORT COORDINATORS IN 2014
Josie Flores-Centrella, Family Support Coordinator: “When you work with the families of donors, there are many times that you pull from your experience. Sometimes like a mirror, you see a reflection of what it was like at the worst moment of your life—and it gives you the wisdom to find the right words to give families. “When I am asked why I do this job, I tell them that my mother was a donor, and that I do the job to honor her and the lives she saved. My mother never recovered from a devastating brain aneurysm, and I was asked if there was a chance that she could save lives through organ donation. Though the decision wasn’t easy, I said yes—a yes to saving others, but also over time a yes that would lead me to help save many more. “I worked with a daughter once who was losing her mother, and I was able to help guide her to a better understanding of what had happened. We talked a lot about the impact of her loss, and what it meant for her mom to be a
donor. When it came time to say goodbye to her mom, she hugged me for a long time and thanked me for being so open. She told me that I helped and inspired her, and that she would never forget me. “Losing my mother was the worst thing that ever happened to me—but in many ways it was the best. I never expected my life without her, but because of the choice I made, she is with me every day.”
Valerie Maury, LCNW Family Support Specialist, helps students at the Muckleshoot Tribal School create a “floragraph” to honor their former teacher, Rachel Givens, for her lifesaving gifts. Rachel’s floragraph was displayed on the Donate Life Rose Parade Float in Pasadena.
FAMILIES REACH OUT WITH RESPECT. We know the importance of cultural differences when it comes to end-of-life decisions. In 2014, we worked to educate ourselves further in how to respectfully help a diverse range of families in conversations around donation. Almost 60% of the transplant waiting list is made up of minorities—but a disproportionately small number of minority donor families choose to give the gift of life. We knew we needed to make a change to better fulfill our mission of saving lives, so in 2014 we focused on improving authorization rates with multicultural populations and regions. We created a dedicated multicultural team, and we worked with the University of Washington’s Partnerships for Native Health (P4NH) to better understand the findings of a recent National Institutes of Health study, which focused on increasing donation awareness and registration among American Indians. We also collaborated with P4NH to develop and deliver new cultural sensitivity training.
Patti Jo Johnston, Organ Recovery Coordinator:
“Zoey ‘Life’ Alakooliichish ‘Has a Good Home’ Cheryl Not Afraid passed away on October 6, 2014, at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings, Montana. Zoey’s father was adamant that donation would occur. At one point, Zoey’s mother—who was so exhausted and had little family of her own—came up to me with tears and said, ‘Can you just reassure me this is a good thing?’ We spent time together and talked about Zoey and her personality, and she felt that Zoey would want to help others. The mother then hugged us and said, ‘Yes, thank you, I am good again.’ They were absolutely steadfast in their decision. “We spent many long hours supporting the family and extended family. At one point, there were about 15 children in Zoey’s room and up in her bed—talking, sharing, and making handprints for Zoey’s quilt. Working together with the hospital chaplain, we talked to the children and let them put their own handprints on the back of the quilt. “One of the nurses counted, and there were 72 family members and friends lining the hallway as we proceeded to surgery to see Zoey off.
LCNW works with Abigail Echo-Hawk, Associate Director for Partnerships for Native Health, who serves as a liaison for American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. She helps identify health research priorities and ensures that research is culturally appropriate and respects tribal sovereignty.
“Zoey and her family have provided an opportunity to build a relationship with the Crow
32%
Nation—one that we hope will start a dialogue about the opportunity to help save the lives of the almost 40 Montana Natives currently waiting for a life-saving transplant.” —Rachel Houck, LCNW Director of Hospital Development
INCREASE IN NATIVE AUTHORIZATION RATE IN 2014
“Over and over again, I have heard from the pediatric manager and nurses, thanking us for how LifeCenter cared for the family as well as the staff. The pediatric staff took this death very hard, and some nurses even came back after their shifts to see Zoey to the OR as well. “Zoey’s father, Leroy Not Afraid, an elected official of the Crow Nation, later shared a message with his family and friends: ‘Today, Zoey became a Hero! In the midst of our tragedy, we quickly learned that Zoey could become an Organ Donor. In honoring Zoey’s kind and loving spirit, her mother Jackie and I agreed to share Zoey’s life with families in need.’” Rachel Houck, Director of Hospital Development:
“When we visited the Crow Agency early in 2014, we met with several people to discuss how we could be more sensitive to Native American beliefs and culture and better serve families in our conversations around donation. “We learned so much as we explored their end-of-life beliefs—even discovering that at times we thought we were being respectful in our interactions, but according to the culture of Crow families, our actions were not seen as
respectful. We also learned the many reasons why donation may be hard for a Crow to authorize, and how their traditions are often not necessarily in line with donation. We know that it’s our responsibility to learn how to interact with every family in a way that they feel respected and supported, and we’ve made great progress this year in our own learning. “One of the reasons that Zoey Not Afraid’s case had so much impact was that this was the first donor from the Crow Nation that we are aware of. This young girl’s parents decided to donate even though donation was not supported throughout the whole Nation. It demonstrated to us that there are ways we can support families from the Crow Nation and hopefully allow donation to happen while still honoring important traditions within their community. “Zoey’s story is about the bravery of a family and a young girl in the midst of a very tragic situation. For this family to look past their own grief and to push though opposition in order to save the lives of others is the ultimate act of bravery. What an amazing gift this girl was able to give, and what an amazing legacy she has left.”
The Autry family displays the ceramic hearts given to them at the bedside of their son Bryce, a donor at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Donor families are given a heart that they can tie around the wrist of their loved one, with additional hearts to keep as mementos—and a way to honor the life-saving gift of their loved one.
FAMILIES ARE THERE WHEN YOU NEED THEM. We work hard to provide comprehensive bereavement support for families of both organ and tissue donors—following up for at least 18 months, but often longer. We help in person and by phone, and through personal letters, resources, and referrals. In 2014, we helped even more families through our bereavement support program. Our staff grew this year, we had 1,067 phone calls with families of donors, and we facilitated 394 pieces of correspondence and 12 in-person meetings between recipients and families of donors. We also distributed 157 donor family quilts.
Sam Rennebohm, Family Services Program Manager: “Over the years, LifeCenter Northwest has developed a rigorous bereavement support program. We plan for 18 months of support for every family, but very often we stay in touch for much longer—and the program serves the families of both organ and tissue donors. “Our aim is to walk alongside the families of donors, through the weeks, months, and years after the loss of their loved one—to help them as they integrate the painful realities of grief with the hope and comfort that we know can come from donation. “Typically, we start with a phone call to the family two to three weeks after the death, and we give them an opportunity to ask questions and connect with our staff. It can be an extremely difficult time, with both an emotional and physical toll, and we try to help families understand these feelings and discover good ways to cope with their grief.
“Our quilt program is only one of the end-of-life rituals that we do with families of donors. We see these rituals as something that has been lost in our culture—but they can be so important in helping a family say their goodbyes, in a way that they can look back later and see as being the best it could be.” —Valerie Maury, Family
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Support Specialist
QUILTS GIVEN TO DONOR FAMILIES
A donor family member awaits the balloon release at the 2014 Donation Celebration in Des Moines, Washington.
“We continue to build that relationship over the next 18 months, by sending regular letters and cards, facilitating correspondence with recipients, and offering opportunities to honor their loved one. We also send a donation outcome letter, so families know more about who their loved one has helped. “In many cases, we continue to facilitate correspondence and help connect the families of donors with recipients for years after the initial donation.” Valerie Maury, Family Support Specialist: “That goodbye at the hospital can be an incredibly lonely and sad moment, when the family of a donor is finally leaving their loved one. We developed our quilt program as another way for us to help families in that moment and after, to give them something tangible and comforting to take home when they leave the hospital.
“We hope that by wrapping themselves in a quilt that their loved one has touched, with a handprint (or hand and footprints), this will remind them that a part of their loved one will always be with them. “When families work with us to put paint on the donor’s hand, transfer that paint to first paper and then to the quilt, they are involved with touching and caring for their loved one—something that many families are hesitant to do in a hospital setting. We encourage them to be very involved, and we’ve had times when Mom and Dad are doing handprints as they tell stories about the donor, siblings are helping to clean the paint off the hands, and grandparents are putting the paper handprints on shelves around the room. The families are often telling stories, and this can be a very sacred time.”
2014 LCNW HOSPITAL AWARDS We want to thank and recognize the hospitals in our region that made outstanding achievements in organ and tissue donation in 2014. We are honored to partner with the staff at these hospitals on such important work. Without your help, we would be unable to fulfill the donation wishes of so many families and save the lives of so many thankful recipients.
Excellence in Donation
Gift of Life Award
DONATION CHAMPION AWARD
To achieve “Excellence in Donation,” a hospital must take ownership of their donation program, try new things, and track their progress. A hospital can have a dramatic and life-saving impact when they achieve this status. In 2014, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett demonstrated excellence in making timely referrals of potential organ donors, planning donation conversations with LifeCenter Northwest, and sustaining a strong culture of donation throughout the hospital. These efforts collectively resulted in more than 11 families being provided hope and healing through the opportunity to donate their loved one’s organs; and 40 lives being saved through these generous gifts. Many aspects of a patient’s clinical course impact the number of organs able to be recovered for transplant, and we know that the heroic efforts made to save a patient’s life will also be beneficial to a donation outcome. This award honors both the life-saving work that occurs before donation, and the top-quality and collaborative care during the donation process. In 2014, MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital provided an average of six organs transplanted per donor.
The Donation Champion award is given to an individual who has made outstanding efforts to collaborate with LifeCenter Northwest. This person demonstrates a commitment to improving donation outcomes by providing time, energy, and expertise to ensure the best possible donation program at their hospital.
Jacque Quantrille
Grace Gordon
Jennifer James
Dr. Daniel Propp
Clinical Quality Analyst
Director of Risk Management
Senior Chaplain
Critical Care Intensivist
Alaska Native Medical Center
PeaceHealth St. Joseph
Kootenai Health
Providence St. Patrick Hospital
Anchorage, AK
Medical Center
Coeur d’Alene, ID
Missoula, MT
Bellingham, WA
DONATION REFERRAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Timely referrals have a significant impact on donation outcomes. One of the single most important steps in donation is recognizing that a patient has met referral criteria, and making the call in a timely
manner. Achieving and maintaining a high compliant referral rate is incredibly challenging and requires a strong commitment and effective processes.
Alaska Regional Hospital Bartlett Regional Hospital Capital Medical Center Community Medical Center Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Gritman Medical Center Harrison Medical Center – Bremerton Kadlec Regional Medical Center Mason General Hospital Providence Centralia Hospital
Providence St. Patrick Hospital Providence St. Peter Hospital Pullman Regional Hospital Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital Bozeman Deaconess Hospital Swedish Medical Center – Cherry Hill St. Peter’s Hospital Valley Medical Center
DONATION ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Organ Donation Many factors impact a hospital’s measurement of how many potential donors go on to donate. Hospitals with high donation rates tend to excel at recognizing referral criteria and making timely calls, maintaining the opportunity for donation, and collaborating with
LifeCenter Northwest for a planned donation discussion. Achieving a 70% or greater donation rate is an impressive accomplishment, requiring vigilance and sustained commitment to ensure every possible donation opportunity is realized.
Alaska Native Medical Center Alaska Regional Hospital Bozeman Deaconess Hospital Community Medical Center Confluence Health Deaconess Hospital Fairbanks Memorial Hospital Holy Rosary Healthcare Kalispell Regional Medical Center Madigan Army Medical Center
MultiCare Auburn Medical Center MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Center Northwest Hospital & Medical Center Providence Holy Family Hospital Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Providence St. Patrick Hospital St. James Healthcare Swedish Medical Center – Edmonds Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital Virginia Mason Medical Center
Tissue Donation Many factors impact tissue donation, including timely referrals, logistics, community education, and outreach. Hospital staff play an integral part in the process, and the average U.S. donation rate
is around 50%. Few hospitals are able to achieve a 70% or greater tissue donation rate.
MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Center PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center Providence Mount Carmel Hospital Harrison Medical Center – Silverdale
Mineral Community Hospital Mountainview Medical Center Whitman Hospital and Medical Center
FINANCIAL REPORT
FACTS & FIGURES LifeCenter Northwest is one of 58 federally designated nonprofit organ procurement organizations (OPO) in the United States. LifeCenter Northwest works together with families, medical professionals, and communities in Alaska, Montana, North Idaho, and Washington to save and improve lives through organ and tissue donation.
Organ Donors BY YEAR 142
163
197
176
162
Lives Saved (Organs Transplanted)
Tissue Donors
BY YEAR
BY YEAR
476
624 462
525
541
463 383
385
270 127
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Financial Position
2014 Total Revenue
2014 Total Expenses
DECEMBER 31, 2014
$25,243,076
$22,767,097
Assets Liabilities
$ 11,377,273 $ 3,630,292
Net Assets
$
Contributions & Others $333,950
Organ & Tissue Procurement $14,926,511
Tissue Procurement $3,793,915
6,475,080 Organ Procurement $21,115,211
Transplant & Tissue Partners
Administration & General $7,840,586
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN LifeCenter Northwest is just one part of an extended family— all working together to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. We are reminded daily of the life-saving gifts entrusted to our care, and we are profoundly thankful for the dedication and commitment of this greater family. LifeCenter Northwest partners with donor hospitals, transplant centers, other networks, and governing and regulatory bodies—to serve the families and patients in our area, from Alaska and Washington to North Idaho and Montana. We all work in close partnership and coordination because success in donation and transplantation, although dependent on the good work of each organization and individual involved, comes from this collaboration. We are also
Kevin O’Connor Nonvoting Member President & CEO, LifeCenter Northwest Bellevue, WA
Jim Young Treasurer Certified Professional Accountant Issaquah, WA
Ken Price Member at Large Regional Director, North American Sales Boeing Commercial Airplanes Seattle, WA
Maude Blair Secretary Vice President Alaska Federation of Natives Anchorage, AK
Sarah Tallon Member at Large Director of Finance and Accounting Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA
William Coleman Member at Large Cardiovascular/Thoracic Surgery Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Spokane,WA Jonathan Himmelfarb, MD Member at Large Professor of Medicine Director, Kidney Research Institute Joseph W. Eschbach MD Endowed Chair for Kidney Research Dept. of Medicine, Div. of Nephrology University of Washington Seattle, WA Walter Kemp, MD Member at Large Deputy State Medical Examiner Montana State Forensic Science Division Missoula, MT Ruth A. McDonald, MD Member at Large Pediatrician-in-Chief Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs Medical Director, Solid Organ Transplantation and Ambulatory Services Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington Department of Pediatrics Seattle, WA
The Governing Board of LifeCenter Northwest is very proud of the service provided by everyone in the organization and is are committed to supporting their important work in the years ahead. Working together, we can affect the lives of so many.
Gerard Fischer / Governing Board Chair
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
GOVERNING BOARD MEMBERS Gerard Fischer, FACHE Chair Vice President-Ancillary Services Group Health Cooperative Seattle, WA
intent on working closely with others to continuously improve. We experienced great success in 2014—and we know that we can do even better in all measures of service, quality and cost.
Monty Montoya, Chair SightLife Seattle, WA
Christian Kuhr, MD Virginia Mason Medical Center Bellevue, WA
Debbie Whitlock, Vice Chair/Secretary Recipient Family Member Seattle, WA
George McCann Life Alaska Donor Services Anchorage, AK
Geoff Austin University of Washington Medical Center Seattle, WA
Arlene Mitterholzer Donor Family Member Puyallup, WA
Megan Clark LifeCenter Northwest Bellevue, WA
Karen Nelson, PhD Puget Sound Blood Center Seattle, WA
Karen Edmondson, RN Public Member Anchorage, AK
Okechukwu Ojogho, MD Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center Spokane, WA
Kathy Jo Freeman, RN Seattle Children’s Hospital Seattle, WA
Jorge Reyes, MD University of Washington Medical Center Seattle, WA
Shirley Harney-Taylor Donor Family Member Tukwila, WA
Todd Seiger Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center Spokane, WA
Marquis Hart, MD Swedish Medical Center Seattle, WA
Michael Souter, MD Harborview Medical Center Seattle, WA
Vickie Hatzenbeller Benefis Hospitals Great Falls, MT
Timothy Stevens Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center Spokane, WA
Patrick Healey, MD LifeCenter Northwest Medical Director Seattle Children’s Hospital Seattle, WA
Deborah Swets Washington State Hospital Association Recipient Family Member Seattle, WA
Joan Huffman, MD St. Vincent Healthcare Billings, MT Ellen Klohe, PhD Inland Northwest Blood Center, Reg HQ Spokane, WA
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