Donor care units are specialized intensive care facilities that play an increasingly critical role in the complex process of organ donation and transplantation. These centers are designed to evaluate and manage organ donors with the primary goal of maximizing organ availability and ensuring optimal transplant outcomes for patients in need of life-saving transplants.
In 2022, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) recognized the importance of donor care units, calling them an innovation in organ procurement and emphasizing their potential to standardize and elevate the quality of donor care. The report recommended that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandate every Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) to establish and operate donor care units in collaboration with local transplant centers.
LifeLink of Georgia, the OPO serving the state of Georgia, and Piedmont Atlanta Hospital were ahead of this recommendation. Their partnership to develop a specialized unit for donor care began years before the NASEM report, positioning them as national leaders in donor management and innovation.
A Vision Realized: The Organ Recovery Center (ORC)
Established in March 2021, the LifeLink Organ Recovery Center (ORC) at Piedmont Atlanta has fundamentally transformed donor management in the region. The center was created to improve donor care, enhance organ quality prior to recovery and ultimately improve transplant outcomes for recipients.
Located within Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, the ORC is a specialized unit fully equipped to manage and recover organs with efficiency, dignity and clinical precision. The facility features:
- Two operating rooms
- Six ICU bays
- A kidney perfusion lab
- Two private family rooms
This physical and emotional infrastructure allows for focused, high-quality care tailored to both donors and their families, distinct from the pressures of a traditional ICU environment. The ORC also benefits from its proximity to Piedmonts comprehensive clinical services, ensuring timely diagnostics and critical interventions that enhance donor stability and organ viability. The entire design is centered around a singular mission: to increase both the quantity and quality of organs available for transplant.
The Power of a Dedicated – Multidisciplinary Team
The success of the ORC is driven by a highly skilled and compassionate multidisciplinary team, including:
- Transplant Coordinators, who manage logistics and provide support to donor families
- Surgical Coordinators, who oversee organ recovery processes
- Critical Care Providers Ð including intensivists, advanced practice providers, ICU nurses and respiratory therapists Ð who stabilize donors and optimize organ function
- Operating Room Nurses and Surgical Technologists, who ensure the highest standards of safety and sterility during recoveries
- Patient Experience Representatives, who offer emotional and spiritual support, honoring the donors legacy and comforting their families
Together, this team exemplifies excellence in donor care through every phase of the process.
Measurable Impact and Improved Outcomes
Since opening, the ORC has helped facilitate the transplantation of 3,119 organs as of December 31, 2024. A critical driver of this success is the centers ability to extend donor management time Ð allowing for comprehensive organ resuscitation and function optimization.
Data from 2024 shows that donors managed at the ORC yield approximately one additional transplantable organ per donor compared to those managed at their originating hospitals. This translates to hundreds of additional organs available each year, thanks to the specialized care and resources provided at the ORC.
This shift in paradigm Ð from rapid procurement to measured and organ-specific resuscitation Ð proves that giving organs time to recover significantly increases the chances of successful transplantation. The ORCÕs dedicated ICU space and specialized staff makes this possible.
National Leadership in Lung Resuscitation
Lung transplantation has historically lagged behind other organs due to the lungs vulnerability to injury during brain death. The ORC has emerged as a national leader in lung resuscitation, increasing transplant rates to approximately 40%-50% of donors, compared to the national average of 18%-20%.
This success stems from a standardized and aggressive protocol that combines dynamic fluid management, specialized diuresis and ventilatory recruitment maneuvers. Importantly, this nuanced care model balancing all organ function has improved lung utilization without compromising kidney recovery Ð leading to better outcomes across multiple organs.
The ORC has also broadened the eligible donor pool by safely resuscitating organs from older donors, expanding the life-saving potential of each donation.
Honoring Legacy, Supporting Families
Beyond clinical metrics, the ORC is a place of meaning and legacy. Every donor who passes through the center leaves a profound impact Ð not only on the lives saved but on the families who find solace in knowing their loved ones final gift brought hope to others through life-saving transplantation.
With private family rooms, spiritual care services and sensitive, compassionate communication, the ORC provides a dignified space where grief is honored and transformed into legacy.
In alignment with Piedmont Healthcares promise to make a difference in every life we touch, the partnership between LifeLink of Georgia and Piedmont Atlanta Hospital fulfills that mission daily. Together, they have created a place where selflessness becomes survival, and where compassion and clinical excellence come together to save more lives.
Brittany Hall , BSN, RN, CCRN
Ms. Hall is the Clinical Manger of LifeLink’s Organ Recovery Center at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, bringing over seven years of critical care experience to her leadership role. Recognized for her dedication and excellence in patient care, Brittany is a proud Daisy Award winner, exemplifying her commitment to compassionate, high-quality care.
Hope Weed, RN, BSN, CPTC
Ms. Weed is the Associate Executive Director at LifeLink of Georgia with over 20 years of experience in the healthcare field. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration from Auburn University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Georgia Baptist College of Nursing. Her background includes leadership, critical care nurse, and flight nurse. Hope has advanced through multiple roles within LifeLink, bringing a strong clinical and leadership foundation to her current position
Clark Kensinger, MD
Dr. Kensinger is a multi-organ transplant surgeon performing liver, kidney and pancreas transplants and serves as the Surgical Director of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation at Piedmont Transplant Institute. He also serves as an Associate Medical Director for LifeLink of Georgia and is the Director of Critical Care and Donor Management at Lifelink’s Organ Recovery Center at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital.
Images courtesy of Lifelink
