Atlanta, Ga. (Aug. 10, 2023) – Piedmont Atlanta Hospital’s LifeLink® Organ Recovery Center (ORC) earned a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN); it is the first organ recovery center in the country to receive this designation.
“We hope this award elevates our collaborative approach to patient care, so it can serve as a model for the still-small number of organ recovery centers nationwide,” said ORC Clinical Manager Jennifer Taylor. “When unit leadership, front-line staff, ancillary departments and outside hospital care teams come together and take a consistent and systemic approach, we save more lives.”
The LifeLink ORC at Piedmont Atlanta, a dedicated space for organ donors and their families to receive state-of-the-art care, employs an innovative organ recovery process. Services available on-site, such as the kidney perfusion lab, are designed to improve efficiency and, in turn, increase the number of successful transplants that result from organ donations.
“Organ donors and their families are heroes,” said Clark Kensinger, M.D., transplant surgeon at Piedmont Atlanta and associate medical director for LifeLink of Georgia. “The unparalleled teamwork of LifeLink, the ORC staff, and the many service lines at Piedmont Atlanta allows us to fully honor their gift by ensuring as many people benefit from lifesaving transplantation as possible.”
The ORC earned its silver award by meeting the following evidence-based Beacon Award for Excellence criteria:
• Leadership Structures and Systems
• Appropriate Staffing and Staff Engagement
• Effective Communication, Knowledge Management and Learning and Development
• Evidence-Based Practice and Processes
• Outcome Measurement
"The ongoing collaboration between LifeLink of Georgia and Piedmont Atlanta provides focused, compassionate care to donor families and a greater realization of the legacy provided by each donor’s selfless gifts. We are honored to work with donor families to fulfill their loved one's donation decisions to save more lives. Without them, donation would not be possible," said LifeLink of Georgia Executive Director Katie Payne.
AACN highlighted processes developed by the ORC at Piedmont Atlanta as examples for the field. The organization commended the ORC for involving all stakeholders, such as physicians, nurses and respiratory leaders, in addressing process improvements, reducing barriers to effective patient care, and preventing distressing situations for patients and their loved ones.
“Being recognized as a Beacon unit underscores this team’s ongoing commitment to providing safe, patient-centered and evidence-based care to this very special group of patients and families,” said AACN President Amanda Bettencourt.