Episode 53:The Process Of Rescuing Organs For Transplantation, With Ethan Fuqua

On this episode of This Thing Called Life, host Andi talks about the donation process from the lens of the OPO, where they explore how the donation process unfolds within the Organ Procurement Organization. OPO is central for the multi-faceted process that is donation and transplantation. Today's guest is Ethan Fuqua who is an organ recovery specialist at Life Center. Tune in to hear more about the next steps in the process!

Episode Highlights: 

• Before working at Life Center Ethan was employed as an EPIC analyst with Mercy Health and then before that he was a nurse's aide at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
• The family service coordinator works with the family to walk them through the process of their loved one being a donor and then there is a transition where the ORS becomes a part of this process, says Andi.
• Once we have consent for donation, we begin an allocation process and that process is facilitated by the donation coordinators, says Ethan.
• ORS arrives at the OR before the patient comes to the OR. ORS arrives at OR to set-up equipment, to talk with staff about what they can expect, what they will need during the procedure and similar things.
• Once the donor is in the OR, we help with getting them onto the OR table, prepping, draping, and the procedure begins when our surgeon has formed a timeout, says Ethan.
• Ethan always thinks that someone is going to have a significant increase in their quality of life because of what he is doing today.
• Every department within the life center is working together, all integral and all working towards the same goal for the same mission, and he thinks that's what makes Life Center so good.
• It is kind of surprising for a lot of people when they hear that we send kidneys on commercial flights, says Ethan.
• Ethan has such a positive attitude, and he is super professional and very easygoing. Ethan talks about the most challenging part of his role as an ORS.
• While ORS are performing a lifesaving mission, they are also dealing with death and the emotional parts.
• Ethan doesn't know any OPO that absolutely requires a person to complete a specific degree program in order to be an Organ Preservationist or ORS.
• When you are working with the surgeons, you can't be timid. You got to know what you are talking about, where you are and what you're doing, says Ethan. 
• Everybody has their role in the OR and we all have to be on point because there is no room for not knowing what you're doing, says Ethan.
• Ethan wanted a job that allowed him to make an impact that was positive on the world because as per him the goal in life should be to leave the world a little bit better than what we came into it as.
• In transplant you are intersecting so many different disciplines within science. There is just so much to learn in this field and so much to take in if you are someone who likes lifelong learning, says Ethan.
• It is extremely important that everybody become registered as a donor because please consider the gift that you can give is literally life. It is the ability for somebody else to live, says Ethan.

3 Key Points:

1. A person in the role of ORS has the ability to multitask and understand the various specific steps that have to happen because of rescuing the organ. “There really is not much room for error”, says Andi.
2. Through a team collaborative effort, we can really get a lot of work done and all the ORS have a great collaborative relationship with each other and all other teams, says Ethan.
3. Leadership recognizes that this is heavy work, and we need to be able to speak to people who can help us process hard feelings because sometimes debriefing with colleagues isn't enough, says Ethan.

 

 

Resources Mentioned:

https://aopo.org/

https://lifepassiton.org/

https://www.facebook.com/LifeCenterOH

https://www.youtube.com/user/LifeCenterOH