Program areas at WRTC
Organ and tissue recovery:acquisition - the organ and tissue recovery process is managed by wrtc with support from various hospitals, laboratories and physician partners. Wrtc works in concert with its hospital partners to acquire the resources needed for each case, i.e., various laboratory tests, an operating room, medical/surgical supplies, a declaring physician, etc. Transportation costs are incurred when organs have to be transferred via ambulance.coordination - wrtc's staff are responsible for managing the entire organ, eye and tissue donation process. The process includes assessing the organs and tissues to determine medical suitability, obtaining authorization from the next-of-kin, allocating the organs using the national wait list for recipients, and surgically recovering the organs and tissues. After recovery, organs are given to a surgeon for Transplant or sent to a tissue bank for processing.
Public education - as an opo, wrtc is federally mandated to provide public education resources and communication that support and promote organ donation awareness and advocacy. Additionally, opos must inform the public on all the various ways an individual can register as an organ, eye and tissue donor. This outreach is delivered through marketing and advertising campaigns, special events, grassroots Community engagement and digital and social media.
Professional education - wrtc provides ongoing donation and transplantation training to medical professionals who work in the 45 hospitals and six Transplant centers in its service area. This education is delivered through a variety of channels, including wrtc-led classroom-style sessions, in-person training, and both routine and during organ recoveries, and web-based applications.