United States onlyDonor Network West’s mission is to save and heal lives through organ and tissue donation for transplantation and research.
At Donor Network West, we're looking for people who embody our core values: passion, excellence, equity and inclusion, and relationships. We welcome diverse perspectives and foster an environment of collaboration and service.
JOB SUMMARY
The Resource Triage Coordinator (RTC) is integral to providing leadership and continuity of service to all donor families and hospital partners by collaborating with the operations center that receives referrals, screens potential organ donors with referral facilities, approaches families to offer the option of donation, and coordinates all logistics involved in the donation process. This individual is responsible for enhancing the mission of DNWest by responding to, and triaging organ referrals so the appropriate DNWest staff can be dispatched to facilitate the donation process. Typical duties include immediate response to organ donor referrals, evaluation by phone of the referral, engagement of the attending MD and hospital team for the implementation of guidelines for care/catastrophic head injury orders, support and evaluation of family needs, identification of resources needed for the referral and triaging the referral to the appropriate DNWest staff member. In conjunction with the DNWest Medical Director, determines medical suitability of potential organ donors and utilizes appropriate resources to achieve this. The RTC may also be assigned duties as determined by management, developing, implementing and monitoring policies, procedures strategies, and action plans related to the procurement and utilization of organs for transplantation, medical research, and education.
ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Call Day Clinical Activities/Organ Donor Evaluation and Management
- Provides consistent and timely service to hospitals, donor families, and other transplant personnel in all potential donor situations. The RTC must also possess knowledge of medical and legal principles of organ donor evaluation, authorization, and donor management. This is necessary in order to effectively communicate with physicians and hospital staff involved with a potential organ donor.
- Assists staff in identifying issues related to the donation process and in collaboration creates a plan of action. Collaborates with staff onsite to determine resources needed for every ongoing organ referral.
- Provides initial risk management assessment. Activates the occurrence reporting system and follows up as necessary. The RTC may implement the occurrence alone or in conjunction with managers/supervisors.
- Responsible for triage of new organ referrals, obtains clinical information to determine medical suitability, provides assessment of hemodynamic stability and initiates communication with attending physician and or hospital staff to maintain stability and potential organ viability. Identifies need for additional information to assist with determining suitability. Assists with determining DCD suitability. Will provide accurate communication of referral status to Clinical Procurement Coordinator (CPC) and other transplant professionals. Determines acuity level and ensures DNWest response accordingly. Works with Clinical Operations Manager, Regional management / family management to ensure resources to respond are identified.
- Creates case plan for organ referrals including further needs once onsite staff involved. Is responsible for the effective management of the referral until authorized or referral is closed. Escalates challenging referrals with case dynamics as appropriate. Ability to respond to a referral and or donor with an onsite presence in times of high activity
- Moderates AM/PM huddle and reports on all high acuity referrals with accurate information and case plan. Ensures huddles are called on referral processes as determined necessary, reviews to ensure documentation of case planning occurs. Provides Donation Program Consultant (DPC) information for debriefing on-site experiences.
- Is able to direct the drawing of blood and labeling of specimens for infectious disease testing to facilitate organ placement, when required by phone. Maintains concise, accurate records of data regarding donor referrals and recoveries. Maintains accurate information on all laboratory values, medications and diagnostic tests required to evaluate and manage all potential and/or actual donors. This also includes recording problems/incidents and reporting them in the established manner.
- Consults with other Transplant Network staff and/or DNWest Medical Director, as needed, on issues pertaining to the clinical and technical aspects of quality organ donor evaluation.
- Participates in post-donor and or post referral review with team members and appropriate management staff. Participates in appropriate follow-up with nurses, physicians, and other donor hospital staff, transplant center staff, and other organ procurement organizations (OPOs) per policy, as requested.
- May precept new DNWest staff, in conjunction with primary preceptor, in orientation to the process of response to referral. Manages "Backboard” cases: makes calls to determine case plan and moves referrals between I-transplant and Backboard as needed.
- As needed, helps with transportation arrangements for staff responding to referral and donor activity. Approves and assures judicious use of overtime. Takes sick calls and records them in the reporting system.
Authorization Situations/Family Care
- Will access donor registries on all referrals 80 years old and younger. If First Person Authorization is identified, the RTC will attach the Document of Gift to the chart and ensure the CPC and hospital is aware of it.
- Evaluates potential donor family dynamics, in phone discussion with bedside staff and discloses information to DNWest’s clinical leadership and/or FRC to assist with the distribution of resources to a case.
- May interact with families by phone when resources are limited, or the situation dictates.
- Contacts appropriate DNWest’s resources in the event of potential media attention.
Other Responsibilities
- Assist the DPC in the development and implementation of response to referral protocols specific for donor hospitals. This may include presentations and or in-services at critical care courses, orientation etc.
- Completes categorization of outcome of cases in ITX for eligibility criteria as outlined by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Categorizes referral outcomes for potential criteria as outlined in protocol.
- Reviews feedback on donors/referrals and the donor/referral management process to improve quality, as warranted. Participates in conference calls to review donation/referral activity and attends staff meetings and workshops as mandated.
- Participates in chart reviews and shares findings with management. Performs spot audits to asses for compliance after implementation of change or education.
- Works with Donation Services team (s) and Medical Director to review cases and activity to identify opportunities to improve outcomes.
Professional/Personal Competency
- Maintains state of the art knowledge of end stage organ disease, organ recovery, donor maintenance, transplantation and organ preservation through appropriate professional organizations.
- Maintains critical care knowledge to ensure ability to function independently in donor hospitals, either internally or through external avenues.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Compassionate, conscientious, ethical, and must possess strong interpersonal skills that will allow her/him to deal effectively with individuals or group of individuals, particularly a variety of medical professionals as well as donor families.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and an ability to work productively both independently, and as a team participant with accountability to all other team members for meeting agreed upon objectives.
- Maintain strong organizational skills that will allow him/her to assess changing environments; be able to establish appropriate priorities; handle highly stressful situations in a calm, mature manner, using sufficient judgment and discretion at all times.
- Provide accurate assessments of job performance and recommend changes in policies, procedures, strategies and action plans.
- Qualified to perform donor evaluations and donor management without supervision.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree in biologic sciences or an equivalent degree/diploma/certification in an allied health field, i.e., Emergency Medical Technician/ Paramedics (EMT/P) or Respiratory Therapist.
- CA registered nurse license or certification as a Physician Assistant, or allied health field is preferred.
- DNWest requires the RTC to maintain a valid CA driver’s license and current vehicle insurance based on CA minimum insurance coverage standards.
- Minimum 2 years’ experience in critical care units or at least 2 years’ experience in transplant and/or organ procurement preferred.
Provided compensation data is subject to change based on location and work status. Salary data provided by third party sites do not accurately reflect our pay structure.
