Our Services
Select a service or scroll to learn more.
All of our services are designed to do one or more of the following things:
- Save lives by placing donated organs with people waiting for a transplant and recovering donated tissue;
- Educate healthcare administrators, physicians, nurses, social workers and chaplains along with EMS, Medical Examiners, Law Enforcement and other non-hospital medical professionals about their role in the life-saving process of donation;
- Support the families of organ and tissue donors, both at the time of donation and in the months and years following their loved one’s death;
- Help people document their decision to save lives by registering as an organ, tissue and eye donor.
Organ Procurement
Some of the greatest medical advancements have made organ donation a successful treatment for end-stage organ failure, yet transplants would not be possible without the generosity of organ donors and their families. Our clinical team reflects this, balancing incredible medical knowledge with care for donors and their families.
Our procurement team works closely with hospitals, transplant centers and donor families to help facilitate this precious gift. It begins with a call from one of our hospital partners to our Communication Center, where our staff works with the hospital to assess patients who are at the end-of-life to see if they have the precious opportunity to give the gift of life. Less than 2% of people have this incredible opportunity upon their death.
If a patient has the option to be an organ donor, one of our clinical staff will travel to the hospital to meet with the family and discuss their loved one’s ability to save lives. If the patient made a decision about donation during his or her lifetime, we support their family as we honor his or her decision. If the patient hadn’t, we ask his or her family to make a decision about donation on their behalf.
From there our clinical team works with the hospital staff to manage clinical activities, coordinates with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and transplant centers to match the donor’s organs with waiting recipients, and arranges surgical recovery teams.
Tissue Recovery
Tissue donation is a gift that enhances and saves approximately 2.5 million lives each year. From skin donation that prevents infection and saves the lives of burn victims to the donation of bone to restore mobility and prevent amputation, the gift of tissue is life-changing.
As a tissue recovery organization, we manage all aspects of the tissue donation and recovery process. It begins with a call from one of our hospital or professional partners to our Communication Center, where our staff assesses the patient to see if they have the precious opportunity to give the gift of tissue.
If a patient has the option to be a tissue donor, a member of our Communication Center team will speak with the family and discuss their loved one’s ability to save and heal lives. If the patient made a decision about donation during his or her lifetime, we support their family as we honor his or her decision. If they haven’t, we ask his or her family to make a decision about donation on their behalf.
Our highly trained tissue team performs the recovery and sends the donor’s tissue to one of our tissue processing partners, who carefully prepare it for transplantation. Our tissue partners include AlloSource, CryoLife, LifeNet , LifeCell, LeMaitre and Ossium.
Professional Outreach
We proudly partner with more than 120 hospitals and hundreds of EMS, ME, hospice, and long-term care facilities to maximize the number of lives saved through organ and tissue donation. Collaboration with our partners is critical in order to support families through end-of-life care and honor the donation decisions of people in our communities.
Our team’s mission is to maintain successful donation programs at each organization or agency by promoting best practices, providing high-level customer service, offering professional education, and meeting individual needs. Administrators, physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains along with EMS, Law Enforcement, Medical Examiners and other non-hospital medical professionals all have crucial roles in the donation process and we are incredibly grateful for their partnership.
For more information and resources visit our Professional Partners pages.
Donor Family Care
Organ and tissue donors are heroes and we believe their families should be treated with the utmost care and respect at the time of donation and in the months and years following their loved one’s death. Our Donor Family Companions are a resource for our families. They compassionately provide grief resources and support to our donor families, as well as facilitate potential communication between donor families and transplant recipients. Each year we provide an opportunity for donor families to gather together and remember their loved ones and the precious gifts of life they so generously gave to others.
For more information and resources visit our Donor Family Care pages.
Public Outreach
Our Public Outreach team connects with communities across the state through public education, special events, and media relations. We believe that everyone has the right to make an informed decision about organ and tissue donation and to document that decision during their lifetime.
We work closely with the Iowa Department of Transportation to provide information to residents applying for or renewing their driver’s license or state ID card. We also provide materials and information about donation to driver’s education to ensure that students who are applying for their very first driver’s license have the information they need to make an informed donation decision.
Our volunteer program is made up of an incredible group of individuals who dedicate their time and energy to supporting Iowa Donor Network by advocating for donation. Our volunteers are dedicated donor family members, transplant recipients, recipient family members and enthusiastic community members whose work and powerful stories impact the hearts and minds of their neighbors. Many of our volunteers staff booths at health fairs, give presentations to students and civic groups and help at special events to raise awareness about organ, tissue and eye donation. They are the cornerstone of our public outreach efforts.
For more information about our volunteer program or to get involved, visit Volunteer Program