Message from the OTA's CEO
Dear DonateLife team,
I want to begin this message by saying thank you to everyone who came along to the DonateLife Network engagement meeting earlier this month in Sydney. It was wonderful to finally be able to to reconnect face-to-face, build on old relationships and establish new ones with colleagues across the nation. Held at the International Conference Centre from 2-3 June — it was the first opportunity for us all to come together in this way in over two years.
The aim of the meeting was to reinforce connections across our DonateLife Network, provide insights into the performance and activities of the national program, and to demonstrate the critical integrated nature of our network in successfully delivering our national goals.
I feel we achieved this — and I hope those of you who were able to attend feel it was a worthwhile experience too. I also hope for those of you who were unable to join us in Sydney, you can get a sense of our discussions from this email newsletter.
It was terrific to see the feedback you provided on the meeting, that overwhelmingly showed all staff feel a strong connection and passion to our common purpose — to save and improve the lives of more Australians through optimising organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
DonateLife Network engagement meeting session recap
Welcoming everyone on the first day, I opened the meeting very excited to have so many of the team in the room, noting the two days were a great opportunity to be together and to re-connect and rejuvenate. I outlined our focus for the meeting as:
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celebrating where we have come from after more than a decade of the program
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acknowledging the impacts of the past two years — whilst also looking at the positives and innovations that the pandemic created
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aiming to leave knowing we are all in this together as team DonateLife — and we will continue to achieve great outcomes.
You can read my full opening words here.
Evolution of clinical practice
We then heard from OTA’s National Medical Director, Associate Professor Helen Opdam, who provided a great overview of the evolution of clinical practice, illustrating the many changes and improvements that have taken place since the onset of the national program in 2009.
Delving into the data
This was followed by a data presentation from OTA’s National Manager for Analytics and Technology Mark McDonald, highlighting the many impacts of Covid-19 on the health sector and donation rates. Mark always manages to make data so interesting! Mark also touched on the impact of the Clinical Practice Improvement Program, and how routine referral, AODR checking before family donation conversations, and DSN involvement in family donation conversations have improved donation consent rates. Whilst there has been significant improvement across these areas, there is still a little more room for improvement — we’re striving to get to 100%.
Showcase: Navigating through Covid-19
We then moved on to a showcase session, featuring ways in which the network has navigated its way through COVID-19. We heard from DonateLife NT Clinical Nurse Manager Shan Cairnes sharing a complex donation case study, DonateLife Vic DSNC Michael Jay on challenges with family conversations, OTA National Manager for Communications and Engagement Brianna Elms on the successful "pivot" for DonateLife Week activities, and NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service Acting Clinical Manager Hazel Blanco on changes to how training had been adapted.
On Thursday afternoon, we moved to a couple of team and personal building sessions.
Teaming for success
In the first session, each table was given a puzzle to build, but it soon became clear no table had all the pieces and the puzzle was a lot bigger than the small one on each table. We had to work together across the entire room to piece together a giant puzzle, representing the many pieces that come together as a whole to make the DonateLife Network.
It took a little longer than expected — but we got there in the end!
Making brave choices
We then heard an inspiring talk on the importance of making brave choices — both at work and in our personal lives — from Dr Gemma Munro, a thought leader and transformational facilitator with a PhD in performance psychology. Some of us have been trying to implement her ideas (there have been numerous references to ‘lizards’!) and attack things on our ‘to do’ lists in a different way to achieve our goals.
DonateLife Network explored
The first day’s sessions then ended with table discussions on the strengths of our network and areas for improvement. Table groups were also asked to reflect on emerging trends, social behaviours or technologies that could change our environment (for better or for worse), and on further actions we can take to drive improvements in donation rates. We’re in the process of collating everyone’s notes from these discussions and will provide you with an update in a coming Network Update.
After an evening of drinks and canapes (which ended quite late for some!), we came together again on Friday morning for two further showcase sessions.
Showcase: DonateLife Agency Managers
In the first showcase we heard from each of the DonateLife Network Agency Managers, who shared a little about themselves and their agencies. A theme throughout these talks was the pride each agency manager has for their team and their dedication to our purpose. PowerPoint presentations weren't a requirement for this session — but DonateLife Queensland State Manager and Nursing Director Tina Coco did prepare a deck of slides, the best of which we couldn’t resist sharing.
Showcase: Looking forward
In the second showcase for the day, titled ‘Looking forward’, we heard again from Brianna, who provided a preview of the DonateLife Week campaign for 2022. Ben Meyer from the OTA Clinical Programs team shared an overview of the progress of the Organ Match clinical management system, which was followed up by a second data presentation from Mark, illustrating the positive impacts OrganMatch has already had on our work. To round out the showcase, Helen spoke with Carla Van Weerdenburg from the OTA Clinical Programs team, on the exciting news that we are hosting a 2023 Donation & Transplantation Conference in Melbourne. You can find out more about this in the Upcoming Events section at the end of this update.
Goals and future focus
In the final session of the meeting, I shared our three goals and summarised the key messages from the meeting. The main message was we can achieve anything when we work together.
At the end of the meeting, attendees were asked to take a short survey to give their feedback. Mark’s data presentation on day one proved a strong favourite — more than 91 per cent of you described it as either ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ useful.
We also asked ‘How often would you like to hear about the activities and performance across the national program and the DonateLife Network?’ About 59 per cent of you said you would like to receive updates on a monthly basis, so from now on we’ll be sending these network update newsletters every month.
When asked ‘What was the best part of the DonateLife Network engagement meeting?’, a strong majority of you said connecting with the rest of the network was the highlight, which was wonderful to hear.
As one of you said in the survey:
“The network is a team of amazing, strong and resilient people … This networking opportunity was fantastic to create a sense of shared purpose!”
I couldn’t agree more.
I’d like to finish with a big thanks to OTA’s Chief Operating Officer Belinda Small, who did an outstanding job as emcee of the event, and to OTA’s National Manager of Clinical Programs Alison Hodak, who chaired our showcase sessions.
Also like to sincerely thank those of you who allowed us to hold this event, by holding the fort in each of your workplaces while the meeting took place.
You can explore the PowerPoint presentations that were shared by following the links in my descriptions above.
We look forward to being able to schedule more network meetings and opportunities for connecting into diaries (on a more regular schedule) going forward.
Warm wishes
Lucinda
OTA updates
Year to date data — January to April:
Donation and transplant outcomes to date for 2022, while lower than pre-COVID outcomes, have increased from last year.
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187 deceased donors for Jan-May, a 9% increase on 2021 YTD (171)
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512 transplant recipients for Jan-May, a 5% increase on 2021 YTD (486)
The DonateLife Audit data to the end of April show a national consent rate of 57%, up slightly on 2021 (56%). Other key metrics include:
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80% overall referral rate, down slightly from 81% in 2021
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91% AODR checking before a staff-raised FDC, the same as 2021
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81% of staff raised discussions involved a Donation Specialist Nurse, up from 77% in 2021
As you will have read above — there is still some room for improvement.
Community engagement updates
Australian Ice Hockey League partnership
In early June, we announced that DonateLife has teamed up with the Australian Ice Hockey League, who will help to promote awareness of organ and tissue donation at their games as a supporting partner for their 2022 season. We did a ‘soft launch’ for the partnership last week on social media, which we hope will be followed by more media activity at games later in the season.
Sunshine Coast Lightning Super netball match
In May, OTA Communications and Engagement Manager Bri Elms and I travelled to the Sunshine Coast for our first partnership match of the year — as the Sunshine Coast Lightning Super netball team took on the NSW Swifts.
It was great to connect with the DonateLife Qld! There was plenty of DonateLife signage and many great conversations had about why it’s important to register. We’re looking forward to seeing Lightning continue their partnership activity as we move into our DonateLife Week campaign period.
Lucinda is pictured with the CEOs of Sunshine Coast Lightning and Melbourne Storm — both our DonateLife partners.
DonateLife Week 2021 campaign wins Mumbrella award
Also in May, the DonateLife Week 2021 promotional campaign won best Government-sponsored campaign at the annual Mumbrella CommsCon Awards. Brianna Elms, Grace Bodman, Belinda Chilton and I attended the Awards with Clare Bonieux from Upstride, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney.
We were up against highly successful awareness campaigns on COVID-19 and Still Birth. Reaching our target of 100,000 new registrations on the AODR for the campaign was a huge achievement, and we were thrilled to accept this award with Upstride on behalf of the whole OTA and DonateLife Network team.
OrganMatch
Narelle Watson and Luke Datson have held several productive training sessions with DonateLife Agencies and Tissue Typing labs around Australia, in preparation for the OrganMatch Phase 1 enhancements. This includes the implementation of the new OrganMatch Donation Portal, as well as the Interface between the EDR and OrganMatch systems, with the aim of streamlining some of the manual processes currently in place. To date NSW, ACT and Qld have gone live with Phase 1 and there has been very positive feedback regarding the new changes. Phase 1 enhancements are on track to be implemented nationally by July this year, after which regular workshops will be re-established with subject matter experts from the Donation and Transplantation sector to focus on Phase 2 of the enhancement project.
Within the Phase 2 enhancements, we will be continuing to focus on streamlining many of the processes surrounding organ offer and acceptance and will be looking at OrganMatch becoming the primary system for organ offer management, including:
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Management of non-renal offer rotation, replacing the existing rotation spreadsheets currently being used,
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Management of all organ offer acceptance/ declines directly through OrganMatch and;
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The Provision of an electronic Donor Chart to the Transplant units through OrganMatch (via EDR Interface), replacing the existing PDF document that’s currently being provided.
We look forward to working with the sector in delivering the phase 2 enhancements.
Donor Family / Transplant recipient correspondence video
A short video is being created that focuses on providing information to transplant recipients about writing to their donor family. The video will cover topics such as normalising recipients’ feelings during the correspondence process, suggestions of what to include in their letter, where to send it, expectations about ongoing correspondence, and an explanation of why the correspondence process is anonymous. The video will also feature a donor family and transplant recipient speaking about their correspondence experience. It is planned the video will be available for use in late July.
FDC workshops
With the opening of borders and education face-to-face workshops recommencing, FDC workshops have been delivered at a rapid pace around the country with recent ones being delivered in Albury, Sydney and Darwin. Both the Core and Practical FDC workshops were held in May in Darwin, the first since 2015. The workshops consisted of valuable discussions and learnings for facilitators and participants with a focus on conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A reminder to check when you last undertook the practical FDC workshop and to book in for an upcoming workshop if due.
pFDC facilitators workshop
Bernie Dwyer with Steve Philpot will lead a training day at the OTA on the 28 June for 11 facilitators of the Practical FDC workshop. The focus will be on sharing some tips and strategies around the setting up and debriefing of a simulated planning meeting and the challenging donation conversation role plays. The attendees will consist of both new and experienced facilitators. Steve and Bernie are looking forward to sharing experiences with all attendees.
pFDC vignettes
As part of the planned update to the Practical FDC Workshop, the OTA, with the help of DonateLife Victoria, recorded a new set of vignettes earlier this month in Melbourne. These vignettes will demonstrate best practice when undertaking specific challenging elements of family donation conversations. The OTA would like to thank all DonateLife Victoria staff that helped out by being part of the filming. Just a reminder that all DonateLife staff are asked to complete the pFDC workshop every two years.
E-learning website
In late May the OTA upgraded the landing page of the DonateLife Learning Site (shown in the picture below). This upgrade, besides updating the look and feel, also improves useability by helping with navigation and providing easier access links to areas internal and external to the site.
Commonwealth Tribute to Life - webinars
On 9 June, Lucinda and Helen co-chaired a Tribute to Life webinar which had speakers from the UK and Novia Scotia presenting on the introduction of opt-out consent systems in their countries. It was a very interesting session which included lessons learned in these countries. The webinar will be available for viewing on the Tribute to Life website shortly.
If you haven’t been able to tune into any of the Tribute to Life webinars yet, or you’d like to revisit one, there’s a growing bank of recordings now available on their website. Many of the webinars feature staff from OTA and the DonateLife Network, as well as leaders in the field sharing insights from other countries in the Commonwealth.
DonateLife Network news
DonateLife Victoria
The Victorian Donation Specialist Nursing Coordinators (DSNCs) have transitioned to being employed solely by their Health Services. This will provide consistency and streamline our employment model. If you have any DSNC contact details saved with @redcrossblood email addresses, these will need to be updated. DonateLife Victoria Agency staff continue to be employed by Lifeblood. Thank you to all our Victorian staff who have remained positive during this period of change.
We have also recently released our strategic documents, which provide guidance to our people on how we work as a network. This includes our Strategic Plan, Engagement Frameworks and Operational Plan, which are particularly important to connect us given our employment structure. We are also working on a range of new interactive data dashboards that will give our internal agency and hospital network monthly updates about donation activity at their hospital.
In staffing news, we recently welcome Danielle Griffiths to our team. Danielle previously worked at the NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service and has now joined our team at Monash Health as a DSNC.
And on a personal note — congratulations to Jess Amsden who has recently welcomed baby Bailey Cooper Moss Hamilton into the world! Jess, Steve, and big sister Bonnie are doing well.
DonateLife NT
Due to DonateLife NT’s ongoing presence at the fortnightly P.A.R.T.Y (Preventing Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth) program, we were invited to present and have a stall at the second annual Automobile Association of the Northern Territory (AANT) Street Smart High event. This event involved about 1,500 year 10, 11 and 12 students from schools across the NT and aimed to provide hard-hitting education on road safety and related matters.
Lee Wood, Program and Policy Director, spoke about organ donation, and the importance of AODR registration and discussing wishes with families. A stall was available for students to visit during the breaks and there was significant engagement with lots of questions about registration and requests for registration and information forms.
DonateLife Queensland
DonateLife Queensland welcomed a new group of volunteers to their Champions Information Day (pictured above) last month, with recipients and donor families coming together to learn all about how they can help and work together with DonateLife. The Queensland team said their favourite part of hosting these days is hearing the personal stories of their newest advocates.
Queensland has been a hive of activity recently with their DSNCs and Communications team getting out to plenty of community events such as local shows, expos and fairs. We have also been happy to have the P.A.R.T.Y (Prevent Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma In Youth) programs back up and running.
DonateLife Queensland also recently came together for our first state-wide face-to-face network meeting for the year in Brisbane. It was good to see everyone together. This was followed by a one-day education day for all of our DonateLife nurses.
DonateLife SA
Compassionate Expo
DonateLife SA set up a stall at the Tea Tree Gully Compassionate Expo, held at the Sfera’s Function Centre on in April.
The Compassionate Expo was to encourage conversations around grief and the end-of-life decisions. The stall was manned by Alana Roscio, Dale Birrell and two of our wonderful volunteers Glenys and Gerry Kandelaars. Glenys is a double lung recipient.
We also formed part of the ‘Planning Ahead’ stall as organ donation decisions form part of the Advanced Care Directive.
2022 Van Australian Nationals
We had a double lung recipient run a registration drive in the Riverland in April, at the 2022 Van Australian Nationals automotive event. They “rallied” up a bunch of new registrations, as well as raising $20,267.50 for charity — some of which will go to organ donation and transplant research. DonateLife SA provided merchandise and signage for the day.
P.A.R.T.Y Program update
The P.A.R.T.Y (Prevent Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma In Youth) Program will soon be reinstated in a hospital setting with the first program kicking off on 11 August at Flinders Medical Centre. Discussions are currently taking place on how DonateLife SA can best support and be involved in the program.
DonateLife ACT
DonateLife ACT would like to congratulate Professor Imogen Mitchell AM on her appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia this week. Professor Mitchell was recognised on the 2022 Queens Birthday Honours list for her significant service to intensive care medicine, as a Senior Intensive Care Specialist at Canberra Health Services and as the Clinical Director for the ACT’s COVID-19 response. She was also recognised for her significant service to tertiary education through roles at the ANU Medical School.
DonateLife WA
Staffing
Mary Lynch will be working as Acting Education Officer from July 2022, when she returns from leave and while Diane Kearney is on long service leave.
Farewell to Anna Wilson (Donor Family Support Coordinator) who is moving to a full-time position at the Perth Children’s Hospital Palliative Care team. There is an Expression of Interest (EOI) in place in the interim, with recruitment later in the year.
DonateLife WA currently have a full team, with all positions filled for the first time in many years!
Events
DonateLife WA will have a presence at the upcoming Mindarie College Health Expo on 16 June — the first in two years since COVID!
Volunteers
And finally, we’d like to mention Keith Eveson, who has been volunteering for DonateLife WA for over 10 years. He might very well be one of our oldest volunteers — at 86 years young!
Keith is recognised around Perth as an iconic figure for all he does to raise awareness of organ and tissue donation — and he’s all geared up to help out again for the upcoming DonateLife Week 2022 activities.
Do you have news to share?
This email is a small snapshot of news from the DL Network. If you have an update to share, get in touch with your state or territory communications rep or email the OTA communications team.
Where do you work?
I am the National Medical Director with the Organ and Tissue Authority. I am also an intensive care specialist at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne.
What’s your role in the DonateLife network?
As the National Medical Director my role is to provide clinical leadership and support to the OTA and the DonateLife Network. This includes providing advice on how to optimise organ and tissue donation practice and outcomes, including future strategy and program delivery. I represent OTA while engaging with medical professional organisations, stakeholder groups, and at international forums and conferences.
What do you love about your role?
I love that I get to work and interact with people from many different backgrounds, who share a similar passion of wanting to make a difference in optimising donation outcomes and making transplantation more accessible. This includes clinicians, OTA staff, health department personnel and members of community groups. I am particularly inspired and feel privileged when meeting and hearing the stories of individuals touched by donation or transplantation. I also really appreciate meeting international colleagues, as there is an immediate connection through our common work, and these interactions provide opportunities to gain insights into life in other countries.
What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of?
Probably the creation of the DonateLife Audit. My involvement began as the lead for a pilot project in Victoria back in 1998. I then facilitated the audit being part of the 2006 to 2009 National Organ Donation Collaborative. It would be difficult to believe back then that it would grow into what it is now, which is very much due to the many people who have since contributed and enhanced its design and the information it provides. Without it we would have no idea about what our consent rate is, or where there are opportunities to expand donation practice, or the update of recent best clinical practices including routine notification to DonateLife at end of life and elements of the Best Practice Guideline for Offering Organ and Tissue Donation in Australia.
What led you to this career?
My involvement in undertaking a pilot project of auditing deaths in Victorian Hospitals back in 1998, to see if there were missed opportunities for organ donation. This was the year I also became an intensive care specialist.
What was your first job?
I was employed as a casual sales assistant at Shoo Biz shoe shop at Chadstone shopping centre throughout high school and university.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
More of an early bird.
Are you a dog person or a cat person (or neither)?
We currently have both, though I’ve always been more of a dog person.
If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?
Probably to be able to fly – that would be pretty great.
If you could only have three apps on your smartphone, which would you pick?
Waze, Spotify, ABC news site
What’s your favourite sport to watch and which team do you barrack for?
My daughter’s netball and her team, Ivanhoe Swifts. I’m currently the secretary for the Ivanhoe Netball Club.
What’s one hobby you’d love to get into?
I started doing ceramics a few years ago. I love that it is very tactile and creative. I enjoy the entire process of thinking up new ideas, making the object, and then seeing the final result. Also, if it goes wrong, the clay can usually be recycled and the mistake hidden without waste.
What’s the top destination on your must-visit list?
Camino trail in Spain, Venice, Malta.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Oh no! Karaoke — ahh!! Really don’t have a great singing voice, and wish I did — I couldn’t even name a go-to song.
Upcoming events
TSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting, 18-21 June 2022
The Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) Annual Scientific Meeting will be held in Adelaide from 18-21 June. Lucinda will present an update at the event on OTA and DonateLife activities occurring nationally, which will be a great opportunity to highlight key areas of focus for the national donation program to the transplantation sector. There will also be an OrganMatch stand, which will provide opportunities for training and trialling of the new Transplantation Portal. In addition, the OTA has provided sponsorship for the Machine Perfusion Workshop, which will be an interesting day looking at key topics regarding machine perfusion for each organ group. Associate Professor Helen Opdam will take part in a discussion panel during the Machine Perfusion Workshop, titled ‘Financial, legal, ethical and physical barriers to introduction of MP and NRP solutions’.
TTS Congress, 10-14 September 2022
The 29th International Congress of The Transplantation Society (TTS 2022) will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 10-14 September 2022. The program includes a diverse array of topics, ranging from cutting-edge science to the latest controversies in ethics and public policy, and best practices in transplantation and donation. It’s a great way to connect with experts from other countries, as well engage with Australian donation and transplant clinicians.
2023 Australian Donation and Transplantation Conference, May 2023 (exact date TBC)
It is anticipated that the 2023 Donation and Transplantation Conference will be held in May 2023 in Melbourne and once dates have been confirmed, a ‘save the date’ will be sent. A conference organising committee is being formed, to be co-chaired by Helen Opdam and Steve Chadban. The Conference will focus on key clinical areas of donation and transplantation. It will provide an opportunity for professionals from the donation, retrieval and transplant sectors to explore and share current, new and emerging issues in the field.
ISODP Congress, 18-21 October, 2023
On the alternate year to the TTS Congress is the key international donation conference — the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement Congress — which will be in Las Vegas, Nevada at 18-21 October 2023. The ISODP Congress is a fabulous opportunity to meet like-minded colleagues who are dealing with many of the same challenges, although in other parts of the world. It’s a chance to submit an abstract, meet future collaborators, and share and learn new ideas. ISODP also hosts a Webinar series with ISODP members having access to live Webinars, past Webinars and conference session recordings, as well as discounted Congress registration. Find out more about becoming an ISODP member here — it costs very little.
These updates are distributed to DonateLife staff across Australia, via the contact details within the DonateLife Learning Site. To update this distribution list, please speak to the education coordinator in your jurisdiction. We thank you for not sharing this update with anyone outside of the network.
