Organ Systems Optimization

The Organ Referral Optimization (ORO) department manages donation from referral to authorization. All Arizona hospitals are required by the federal government to contact Donor Network of Arizona (DNA). Donation referrals happen when a patient meets clinical triggers or has already passed away. Upon referral, a DNA team member will, in most cases, travel to the hospital to begin the process of determining what organs may be acceptable for donation. If the potential donor has made the choice to register as an organ and tissue donor, our team collaborates with the donor hospital to honor the donor’s decision to share life. If the patient has not decided, the patient’s family or legal next-of-kin is invited to make the choice about donation on their loved one’s behalf.

Donor Legacy supports and provides care to donor families. Donor Legacy advocates (DLAs) are responsible for donation conversations with families of potential organ and tissue donors in real time at hospitals or on the phone as the main point of contact. In the case of a registered donor, the DLA helps the family honor the decision of their loved one. When it is a family decision, DLAs engage that family in a meaningful discussion of the values and beliefs of the individual and the family. DLAs support families to allow generosity to flow freely at the most unexpected time.

The Organ Donor Optimization (ODO) department manages donation from authorization to transplant. Once donation is authorized, extensive information is gathered through laboratory and diagnostic tests. These tests are to ensure that donated organs function and are safe to transplant. During this time, recipients are identified, and surgical recovery is scheduled. Organ recovery takes place in an operating room at the donor hospital or at DNA’s donor care center in Phoenix. Organs are recovered by transplant surgeons, and the donated organs are then transported to the organ transplant center where the transplant will take place.

Equipped with a state-of-the-art facility and a department of experienced and dedicated staff, DNA’s Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Laboratory (HLA – human leukocyte antigen) plays a vital role in the organ donation process by matching a donor’s generous gift to a recipient waiting for renewed life. By reducing the risk of organ rejection, HLA’s expert team helps ensure the success of each transplant.