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This Thing Called Life
This Thing Called Life episodes
- EP 110: Transforming Organ Procurement Through Innovation Outreach and Leadership with Joel Chase
In this episode of This Thing Called Life, Andi Johnson sits down with Joel Chase, Vice President of Organ Services at Network for Hope, to discuss his role and how it has evolved following a recent merger. Joel shares insights into the integration of two smaller Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) into Network for Hope, the strategic changes that followed, and how he is leading a growing team.
Joel walks through the organ donation process, from the initial referral to organ recovery, emphasizing the importance of supporting donor families, transplant recipients, and OPO staff who navigate these complex and life-changing moments. He also reflects on his career journey, the challenges of balancing leadership with personal life, and the impact of medical advancements on the field of organ donation.
Episode Highlights:- Joel’s Role & the Organ Donation Process: He oversees the entire donation process, from organ referral and evaluation to allocation and recovery.
- Navigating Growth Post-Merger: The transition from 32 full-time employees at Legacy Life Center to over 90 at Network for Hope has required new leadership strategies.
- Evolving Case Timelines: The duration of cases has expanded from 24 to over 50 hours, depending on testing and logistical challenges.
- What Drives Joel: He is motivated by mission-driven work, helping people, and witnessing his team’s success.
- Biggest Leadership Challenge: Time management in an organization that never stops and balancing work with family life.
- Leadership Philosophy: Leading with openness, support, and grace while prioritizing an inclusive leadership style.
- Memorable Moments: Joel shares a powerful story of how a leader’s critical decision helped save three lives, a defining learning experience in his career.
- Public Awareness: He encourages open conversations about organ donation with loved ones and addresses concerns from those hesitant to register.
Key Takeaways:- Leadership in Organ Donation: Joel shares insights into leading a non-profit OPO, managing growth, and the importance of learning through challenges ("failing forward").
- The Organ Donation Process: Understanding how OPOs evaluate, allocate, and recover organs while collaborating with hospitals to ensure successful transplants.
- Encouraging Public Awareness: Addressing misconceptions about organ donation and why open conversations with family are essential.
Tweetable Quotes:
- “I've always been fascinated with medicine, so you get to kind of play nurse or doctor without necessarily having to have the license. So I thought that that was just a great, intriguing career.” - Joel Chase
- “We are there to help facilitate, to make donation happen in the best way possible, and in these 24 hour shifts that a lot of the team members are working and all the things that they're doing, it's very hard to expect perfection when a lot of staff want to do their best all the time, and it's just not possible. We're all humans, and we have to have some grace for each other too.” - Joel Chase
- “I think that we should learn from our experiences, whether they're good or bad. If we don't learn from them, then I think that's more of a failure. Otherwise, it's an opportunity to improve and do better the next time. So I definitely like that mindset, and it kind of ties into knowing that we're not perfect people, and I don't think we're ever going to have a perfect A to Z case” - Joel Chase
- “It's the OPOs job to evaluate the patient's medical record and their current clinical condition for organ donation potential. A lot of times that could mean that the patient ends up surviving their injury, and they go through the rehabilitation process” - Joel Chase
Resources:
https://getoffthelist.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
https://www.youtube.com/@NetworkforHope.
https://aopo.org/
31 min - EP 109: "Novedades y unas becas"This episode of TTCL will feature an interview with Julie Luebbers on La Mega.This monthly interview will inform the Spanish Community about Network For Hope andthe incredible miracles that happen with Organ, Tissue, and Eye Donation.Resources:https://getoffthelist.org/https://www.networkforhope.org/https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPOhttps://aopo.org/12 min
- EP 108: Say Yes To Registering To Be An Organ, Tissue and Eye Donor In 2025
Community Heroes is a special extension of This Thing Called Life’s podcast. In this series, we talk to community leaders, share important information about organ and tissue donation, and honor those who have been instrumental in saving lives through the gift of donation. In this episode, we talk with Lincoln Ware from WDBZ the Buzz of Cincinnati talk station.
Resources
https://registerme.org/
https://getoffthelist.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
https://www.youtube.com/@NetworkforHope.
https://aopo.org/
5 min - EP 107: Take The First Step To Help Others Who Need An Organ, Tissue Or Eye Transplant
Community Heroes is a special extension of This Thing Called Life’s podcast. In this series, we talk to community leaders, share important information about organ and tissue donation, and honor those who have been instrumental in saving lives through the gift of donation. In this episode, we talk with Don Juan from 100.3 FM Cincy's R&B station in Cincinnati.
Resources
https://registerme.org/
https://getoffthelist.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
https://www.youtube.com/@NetworkforHope.
https://aopo.org/
6 min - EP 106: The Donation Coordinator's Responsibility within the Donation Process of the Organ Procurement Organization, with Christienne King
Episode 106: The Donation Coordinator's Responsibility within the Donation Process of the Organ Procurement Organization, with Christienne King
During this episode of This Thing Called Life, host Andi Johnson talks about the donation process from the OPO (Organ Procurement Organization) lens. This week, Andi is speaking with Christenne King. She is the Senior Donation Coordinator. She meets family in very difficult times. Tune in to hear about her experiences as it relates to the important process of organ donation.
Episode Highlights:
- Many people believe that organ, eye, and tissue donation is just a service of the hospital but Andi shares how it is much bigger than that and requires the collaboration of many.
- Christenne has been with the Life Center for over 20 years and is currently the Senior Donation Coordinator. She explains her role as one of the individuals who handles the evaluation, medical management, organ placement, and logistics of the operating room for an organ donation.
- Andi asks Christenne to share what kind of training and background is required to do work as she does.
- Christenne shares her personal experience with organ donation about her sister, Adrienne King who had epilepsy and cerebral palsy.
- What does brain dead mean? Christenne shares facts that listeners may not be aware of. She explains the difference between that and a vegetative state or coma.
- Organ donation and the education around it have grown significantly over the years.
- Christenne explains her connection to Network For Hope and how meaningful it has been to her on several levels.
- Christenne put herself to paramedic school and applied as an organ coordinator.
- Andi asks Christenne how she prepares for her day and meeting with families in desperate times.
- What happens at the bedside to evaluate potential organ donation?
- Christenne shares that some cases have changed her forever and how it has been a blessing.
- What goes into supporting the families who are in contact with them?
- Andi talks about how COVID-19 caused many people to reflect and seek more meaningful jobs.
- Andi asks Christenne to share what a typical workday looks like for a donation coordinator.
- Logistics and time frames are very important in the process; Christenne explains.
- A lot of communication is required for this job because of the many pieces that must come together.
- An average case lasts about 72 hours so that the right thing is accomplished with the donor.
- Christenne talks about when organ gifts are placed in other locations.
- The donation coordinators are very passionate about giving each individual the best preservation options.
- Have you thought about registering to be a donor? Find out more at https://lifepassiton.org/
3 Key Points
- Christenne shares her personal experience with organ donation when her sister, Adrienne King passed away and saved several other lives.
- Organ donation happens through the collaboration of many. Andi and Christenne talk through the organ coordinator role and the piece it is in the overall process.
- Emotional taxation is high in the role that Christenne has. She talks about the challenges, and blessings, and how she perseveres through them.
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Organ, eye, and tissue donation does not happen without collaboration.” -Andi
- “There are intricacies of this life-giving, life-saving process.” -Andi
- “When someone has been deemed as potential to help someone through donation, a donation coordinator will be onsite for 24 hours/day through the end of the process.” -Christenne
- “For those who do not know, when a person is declared brain dead, it is a legal pronouncement of death, it is the time that will go on their death certificate.” -Christenne
- “My sister was one of only 39 organ donors in Cincinnati in 1992. It was so rare.” -Christenne
- “Donation can have such a positive effect on those that are donor families. “ -Christenne
- “This role requires you to be strong and sensitive to the fact that a family is going through the worst possible time.” -Andi
- “We are intimately involved with the families in the room and with the donors in the room, it is difficult.” -Christenne
- “Other than being a parent, this job is the most rewarding thing I will do in my life.” -Christenne
Resources Mentioned:
- https://getoffthelist.org/
- https://www.networkforhope.org/
- https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
- https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
44 min - EP 105: 'El mejor regalo de la vida
LifeCenter ahora es Network For Hope! (LifeCenter now is Network For Hope!)
This episode of TTCL will feature an interview with Julie Luebbers on La Mega.This monthly interview will inform the Spanish Community about Network For Hope andthe incredible miracles that happen with Organ, Eye, and Tissue Donation.Resources:
https://getoffthelist.org/https://www.networkforhope.org/https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPOhttps://aopo.org/11 min - EP104: A Transplant Surgeon’s Journey To Help Others, with Dr Madison Cuffy
A Transplant Surgeon’s Journey To Help Others, with Dr Madison Cuffy
During this episode of This Thing Called Life podcast, host Andi Johnson speaks with Dr. Madison Cuffy, an Associate Professor at UC Health. Dr. Cuffy has built trust-filled relationships with his transplant patients throughout the years and loves nothing more than to see them live their lives to the fullest after getting their transplant.
Episode Highlights:
- Dr. Cuffy started his medical journey back in 2002 which led to a multi-organ transplant fellowship at New York Presbyterian.
- Growing up in Brooklyn, Dr. Cuffy was first introduced to Cincinnati by Talib Kweli and Hi Tek.
- As a 14-year-old, Dr. Cuffy became interested in medicine while volunteering in a hospital cleaning instruments.
- Even to this day, no one in Dr. Cuffy’s family has experience in medicine, nor any clue what a transplant surgeon does.
- Dr. Cuffy was born in the Caribbean and grew up with his great aunt in New York.
- One of the most common misconceptions surrounding organ donation is that the medical community will let you die.
- After being in transplant and seeing how one can help create life during a time of despair, Dr. Cuffy became an organ donor.
- The medical community is not out to harm organ donors in order to harvest their organs, contrary to popular belief.
- According to the statistics, on average, 22 people die every day waiting on an organ transplant.
- While most of his focus is on kidney transplants, Dr. Cuffy does work with all transplant organs.
- There is an access problem for people who need a kidney transplant and are on dialysis.
- Dr. Cuffy facilitates living kidney donation as the best option to treat end-stage renal disease.
- Andi has noticed that people of color tend to shy away from sharing their donation needs with other people.
- Socioeconomic issues and disadvantages can make it more difficult for certain patients to share their stories.
- People who don’t want to share their stories need a donor champion to do it for them.
- There are different forms of literacy, so Dr. Cuffy makes sure his patients know that there is no stupid question.
- It’s important for patients to speak up about their questions to their doctor so that they don’t get misinformation from another source.
- If your physician is too busy to answer your questions now or in the future, you may need to find a different provider.
- Dr. Cuffy feels rewarded by his job when he sees his patients experiencing life after their transplant.
- His grandmother’s advice was “Always be yourself”, even when things get tough, this message helps Dr Cuffy get through hard days.
- Raised without his parents in Brooklyn, Dr. Cuffy knows first hand that you can do anything you set your mind to.
- Dr. Cuffy has always had an extra gear that has allowed him to outwork everyone around him.
- When he goes back to Brooklyn now, Dr. Cuffy gets a different kind of respect from the people he grew up with.
- Dr. Cuffy thoroughly enjoys going to J. Alexanders in Cincinnati because of the sheer amount of professional African Americans that go there.
3 Key Points:
- While volunteering at a hospital with the hopes of staying off the streets as a 15-year-old boy, Dr. Cuffy had the opportunity to watch a kidney transplant up close, and that’s how he chose the transplant route.
- Unlike in other cities that have multiple transplant programs with different surgeons, Cincinnati has a single transplant program where the doctors act as one unit.
- Living donor kidneys last anywhere from 15 to 20 years, recipients don’t have to wait on a list to get one, and the quality is usually very good.
Resources:
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
https://getoffthelist.org/
https://www.uchealth.com/en/transplant
Dr Madison Cuffy
48 min - EP 103: Tis The Season Of Giving
Community Heroes is a special extension of This Thing Called Life’s podcast. In this series, we talk to community leaders, share important information about organ, eye and tissue donation, and honor those who have been instrumental in saving lives through the gift of donation. In this episode, we talk with Don Juan from 100.3 FM Cincy's R&B station in Cincinnati.
Resources
https://getoffthelist.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
5 min - EP 102: How Organ, Tissue & Eye Donation Helps The Sick and Injured In Our Community
Community Heroes is a special extension of This Thing Called Life’s podcast. In this series, we talk to community leaders, share important information about organ and tissue donation, and honor those who have been instrumental in saving lives through the gift of donation. In this episode, we talk with Don Juan from 100.3 FM Cincy's R&B station in Cincinnati.
Resources
https://getoffthelist.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
https://www.youtube.com/@NetworkforHope.
https://aopo.org/
7 min - EP 101: Heartfelt Care: Dr Bonomo Explains The Vision For A Holistic Donor Care Unit Within The New UCMC ICU
Welcome to today’s episode of This Thing Called Life, where we delve into the ever-evolving care plan of organ, eye, and tissue donation. In this episode, we’re joined by Andi Johnson and Dr. Jordan Bonomo to explore a key recommendation from the 2021 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report aimed at transforming organ donation and transplantation practices to create a more equitable system. Dr. Bonomo shares insights into a groundbreaking initiative—the establishment of a donor care unit within UCMC’s new Flex ICU. This innovative, first-of-its-kind model is designed to improve organ donation outcomes by providing comprehensive, compassionate care to both donors and their families. Tune in for this important conversation on enhancing the donor experience and advancing the future of organ donation.
Episode Highlights:
- Introducing Dr. Jordan Bonomo. He is a physician at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. He's the Medical Director of the flex ICU and a professor of Emergency Medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, and neurocritical care. He is also the attending physician for anesthesia, critical care, and ECMO, and he's the medical director for donor management, for Network For Hope, formerly Life Center.
- Dr. Bonomo explains the long-term development of the Flex ICU, emphasizing its multifaceted purpose to serve critically ill patients and enhance organ donation capacity.
- The Flex ICU aims to provide specialized care for organ donors, improving the yield and survival rate of donated organs.
- Specialized units can focus on the needs of the donor from a physiological standpoint and the needs of the family from an emotional standpoint. This aims to provide a much more synchronized environment and holistic care for the families and adhere to the donor wishes.
- All the staff are fully trained and they're vetted and vested at the same time in the process of donation. The purpose is to have the best donor care unit available anywhere in the country.
- The unit is staffed 24/7 by dedicated teams to support the mission of Network for Hope.
- The unit is limited to donors who have been declared dead by neurologic criteria. Note that in the month of October, the first month of the launch of Flex ICU, there were zero patients declared brain dead in the region.
- Dr. Bonomo explains the intentional design of the unit to accommodate donor families, offering them the option to be with their loved ones or to step back as needed.
- The Flex ICU aims to respect the wishes of donors and families, facilitating their involvement in the donation process.
- Dr. Bonomo discusses the potential impact of the Flex ICU on organ donation
- The goal is to optimize the process for donors, families, and organ recipients, balancing the need for timely transplantation with the potential for increased donation.
- Andi adds that the DCU, which is housed within the flex ICU, has been discussed as a key part of the flex ICU with providers, nurses, and physicians who will be working in this unit.
- The team is committed to doing right by donors, recognizing the privilege and obligation that comes with their role.
- The Flex ICU has attracted dedicated professionals who are passionate about improving organ donation and transplantation.
- The process of establishing the unit has been lengthy, involving multiple stakeholders and legal considerations.
- He shares that this is an organ procurement organization initiative that really is somewhat independent of the healthcare system.
- The belief that donation can bring healing and good from tragedy has been a driving force for Dr. Bonomo.
- Dr. Bonomo has a strong foundation in bioethics, having earned his undergraduate degree in the field. Throughout his career, organ donation has been a central focus of his work in biomedical ethics.
- Dr. Bonomo invites listeners to ask questions and seek education about the organ donation process.
- The importance of accurate information and understanding the process is important for effective collaboration and support.
3 Key Points:
- Dr. Bonomo explains the long-term development of the Flex ICU, emphasizing its multifaceted purpose to serve critically ill patients and enhance organ donation capacity. The Flex ICU aims to provide specialized care for organ donors, improving the yield and survival rate of donated organs.
- The unit is limited to donors who have been declared dead by neurologic criteria. So brain dead donors, and brain dead vernacular term death by neurologic criteria. Dr. Bonomo explains the intentional design of the unit to accommodate donor families, offering them the option to be with their loved ones or to step back as needed.
- The Flex ICU has attracted dedicated professionals who are passionate about improving organ donation and transplantation. The team is committed to doing right by donors, recognizing the privilege and obligation that comes with their role.
Tweetable Quotes:
- “Dr shutter explained to me that we do our best to save them, but when you can't, your obligation doesn't end, and the opportunity to donate is an absolute good when done well…” - Dr. Bonomo
- “So the the flex ICU has been in design and development for a really long time, I mean, north of 15 years, and we've had fits and starts, and we finally were able to construct it…” - Dr. Bonomo
- “We have teams that are dedicated to supporting the mission and network for hope, formerly Life Center…” - Dr. Bonomo
- “I think every family is interested in knowing that their loved one is well cared for and that their wishes are being respected.” - Dr. Bonomo
Resources:
https://getoffthelist.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/
https://www.networkforhope.org/about-us/
https://www.facebook.com/NetworkForHopeOPO
https://www.youtube.com/@NetworkforHope.
https://aopo.org/
30 min
About This Thing Called Life
From the publisher's feed
This Thing Called Life is a podcast dedicated to acts of giving, kindness, compassion, and humanity. Host Andi Johnson introduces you to powerful organ, tissue, and eye donation stories from…
individuals, families, and front-line healthcare teams. These stories are meant to inspire and remind you that while life can be challenging and unpredictable, it’s also incredibly beautiful. We hope this podcast inspires you to connect with our life-saving and life-healing mission.