LifeShare Celebrates Successful Partnership
with SSM Health St. Anthony
105 lives saved together in 2020 thanks to Partnership
LifeShare of Oklahoma celebrates the one-year mark of its partnership with SSM Health St. Anthony in creating a Central Donation Facility (CDF) to support organ donation in the state. The partnership has proven to be successful and as a result 105 lives were saved in 2020 through the partnership.
The central donor facility was officially launched on January 1, 2020. Establishing a donation facility has become a national best practice for organ procurement organizations. Under this new model, LifeShare routinely, but not universally, transfers authorized organ donors from the originating or referring donor hospital to the recovery facility to facilitate the donation process.
The CDF partnership began between SSM Health St. Anthony and LifeShare after years of LifeShare’s significant growth in both employees and number of donors each year. More than 30% of LifeShare’s eligible donors were transferred to the CDF in 2020.
Dr. Gregory McKinnis and the critical care team at SSM Health St. Anthony have been instrumental in the partnership’s success. Their understanding of the donation process and support have aided in the management of donors prior to recovery.
“This successful partnership is a testament to the administration and nursing staff and leadership of SSM Health St. Anthony embracing this partnership and our core purpose to save lives,” Jeffrey Orlowski, President and CEO of LifeShare said. “The CDF allows LifeShare to facilitate donation in a timely manner and allows us to better support our donor families’ needs.”
To celebrate this partnership and the lives saved, and to honor the donors and their families for their livesaving gifts, LifeShare and SSM Health St. Anthony hosted a flag raising on March 1.
The central donor facility was officially launched on January 1, 2020. Establishing a donation facility has become a national best practice for organ procurement organizations. Under this new model, LifeShare routinely, but not universally, transfers authorized organ donors from the originating or referring donor hospital to the recovery facility to facilitate the donation process.
The CDF partnership began between SSM Health St. Anthony and LifeShare after years of LifeShare’s significant growth in both employees and number of donors each year. More than 30% of LifeShare’s eligible donors were transferred to the CDF in 2020.
Dr. Gregory McKinnis and the critical care team at SSM Health St. Anthony have been instrumental in the partnership’s success. Their understanding of the donation process and support have aided in the management of donors prior to recovery.
“This successful partnership is a testament to the administration and nursing staff and leadership of SSM Health St. Anthony embracing this partnership and our core purpose to save lives,” Jeffrey Orlowski, President and CEO of LifeShare said. “The CDF allows LifeShare to facilitate donation in a timely manner and allows us to better support our donor families’ needs.”
To celebrate this partnership and the lives saved, and to honor the donors and their families for their livesaving gifts, LifeShare and SSM Health St. Anthony hosted a flag raising on March 1.
