About Nevada Donor Network

Nevada Donor Network is a federally designated 501(c)3 not-for-profit organ procurement organization (OPO) also responsible for facilitating tissue and cornea donation statewide. Founded in 1987, our core purpose is to provide hope strength and life to more than 2 million people in the state of Nevada and thousands of potential transplant recipients across the country.

Our primary functions as an OPO are to coordinate, recover and allocate lifesaving organs and healing tissues for transplantation and research on behalf of our heroic donors. We provide education to hospital staff and community partners on the referral and donation process and provide a strong network of support for the courageous donor families who save lives through the gift of donation. Nevada Donor Network is a member of Donate Life Nevada, a statewide collaboration of agencies committed to motivating Nevada residents to register as organ, eye and tissue donors.

See Our Transformation

Our Teams

Administration Our administration department includes our Executive Team, Human Resources and Accounting.

Our Executive Team guides the operations of Nevada Donor Network. In collaboration with our leadership team and boards, they build and implement our organization’s strategic plan.

In addition to building our competitive benefits packages, our Human Resources team is responsible for recruiting and retaining the people who make up the awesome team at Nevada Donor Network. HR also coordinates our organization’s philanthropic community projects.

Our Accounting team handles our OPO’s financial operations, ensuring our financial health, which allows us to remain dedicated to our mission of maximizing the gift of life and health through organ and tissue donation.

Our IT team is responsible for all technical aspects of Nevada Donor Network’s servers and computers. Their work gives our staff the ability to work in the office and remotely while interacting with our outside partners.

Our Facilities team is responsible for maintaining the quality and care of all buildings on our campus. They also handle the shipping, receiving and stocking of inventory for the entire organization.

Business Development Services Our Business Development team is responsible for providing support services and developing relationships with referring partner organizations in order to maximize the opportunity for donation. Team members deliver education and training to our specialized community partners, highlighting each organization’s unique role in the donation process.

Community Services The goal of the Community Services team is increase the community’s knowledge of organ and tissue donation and inspire Nevadans to join the donor registry. Community Services also handles all media outreach for Nevada Donor Network and provides communication to internal and external audiences.

Donation Services Our Donation Services team is responsible for the accurate and timely collection and dissemination of information provided by referring agencies and hospitals. Our skilled Donation Coordinators determine eligibility for tissue and ocular donation, support families during the immediate hours following the loss of their loved one, and offer families the option to restore strength, give hope and save lives through tissue and eye donation.

Family Services Our Family Services team is responsible for guiding family members of potential donors through the process of organ donation. Our Aftercare Program provides bereavement support to families through phone calls, correspondence, events, grief literature and assistance in locating support resources in the community. Our coordinators also facilitate correspondence between donor families and transplant recipients.

HLA Laboratory Nevada Donor Network is one of only seven organ procurement organizations with an onsite Histocompatibility Lab. The lab provides a full range of histocompatibility testing services in support of Nevada Donor Network and University Medical Center of Southern Nevada’s kidney transplant program. These services include ABO and HLA typing, the screening and identification of anti-HLA antibodies pre-transplant and monitoring of the immune response post-transplant. The laboratory also provides cross matching by flow cytometry methods for renal and non-renal organ transplants throughout the region.

Hospital Services The Hospital Services team is responsible for educating all hospital staff on the sophisticated referral and donation processes to maximize the identification, referral and recovery of organ and tissue donors. The team builds and nurtures relationships with donor hospitals.

Living Donation Services The Living Donation team offers expectant mothers with a scheduled c-section the opportunity to donate the placenta, umbilical cord, and amniotic fluid after the birth of their child. This team is responsible for coordinating the acquisition, packaging, and transportation of these tissues that are used for transplantation and therapy to stimulate healing, reduce pain, and promote an accelerated recovery. Members of this team also build and cultivate relationships with OBGYN partners and staff on Labor & Delivery units to help ensure that every eligible mother has the opportunity to donate.

Northern Nevada Services Nevada Donor Network has a satellite office located in Reno, which offers tissue and ocular donation services to hospitals, funeral homes, medical examiners and hospice facilities in the Northern area of the state. The staff in Reno also provides education about donation to the community.

Ocular Services Our Ocular Services team utilizes an extensive review process to determine suitability for cornea transplantation and research. The team also coordinates the recovery, processing and distribution of donated ocular tissue to restore sight worldwide. Members of the team collaborate with coroners, medical examiners and funeral homes to educate their staff about the sophisticated referral and donation processes.

Organ Services The Organ Recovery team works with hospital staff to evaluate patients for medical suitability for organ donation and manage patients’ medical care to maintain medical stability prior to organ recovery. They also coordinate the allocation of the donated organs. Our Surgical Recovery Coordinators assist surgeons and OR staff during the organ recovery. After the recovery has been completed, the Surgical Recovery team packages and distributes the organs for transplantation.

Quality Services Our Quality Services team collaborates with other departments to ensure Nevada Donor Network operates under the strict guidelines that govern organ procurement organizations and ensure all policies and procedures are being followed.

Tissue Services Our Tissue Services team is responsible for the surgical recovery, packaging, and transportation of tissues that are used for transplantation to speed healing, restore mobility and save lives. All potential tissue donors are screened for suitability by our staff to ensure safe, quality tissue for recipients. Tissues that may not be suitable for transplantation can be utilized in the research and development of new medical treatments.