Presence St. Joseph donation advocates honored by Gift of Hope
Two caregivers at Presence St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin have been recognized by Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network for outstanding achievement in addressing the critical need for organ and tissue donation at the hospital.
Intensive care unit nurse Jason Cropsey, RN, and Edward Hunter, regional mission officer, were named 2014 Lifesaving Partners by Gift of Hope.
They were among a group of 21 hospital, forensic and civic professionals and organizations recognized for their work to help Gift of Hope carry out its mission of saving and enhancing lives through organ and tissue donation at a special ceremony on Oct. 10.
Cropsey and Hunter were lauded for their ongoing efforts to enhance staff education on donation, support donor families and overcome obstacles to donation in the community, all of which have resulted in improved donation outcomes at Presence St. Joseph.
"Jason and Ed are a donation dream team," said Kevin Cmunt, president and CEO of Gift of Hope. "They are two uniquely talented individuals who, together, share the same goal: to make every opportunity for donation successful. And that's pretty fortunate for us at Gift of Hope because their united goal is identical to our organizational vision."
As Presence St. Joseph's critical care charge nurse and nurse educator, Cropsey understands the donation process inside and out, is skilled in supporting and caring for families and patients in the ICU and stays involved in all aspects of a case from referral to completion, Cmunt added.
Meanwhile, Hunter has leveraged his relationships with the Kane County Coroner and local police departments to overcome obstacles to donation, and he volunteers his time as a board member of Midwest Eye Bank, a donation partner of Gift of Hope, he said.
"Jason and Ed follow every referral from beginning to end," said Susan Shapiro, the Gift of Hope donation coordinator who nominated the two for their Lifesaving Partners Awards. "Both are in regular communication with each other and have made themselves available day or night to support donor families and Gift of Hope. Neither hesitates to think creatively, take on an additional role or reach out to engage senior leadership if needed. And, after every case, they take the time to debrief with us in order to find better ways to work together and to support families."
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is a nonprofit organ procurement organization entrusted by the nation's health care system with coordinating organ and tissue donation and providing donor family services and public education in Illinois and northwest Indiana. It has coordinated donations that have saved the lives of nearly 20,000 organ transplant recipients and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of tissue transplant recipients.
As one of 58 organ procurement organizations that make up the nation's organ and tissue donation system, Gift of Hope works with 176 hospitals and serves 12 million residents in its donation service area. It also is part of Donate Life Illinois, a coalition of agencies responsible for organ, tissue, eye, blood and marrow donation, as well as donor education and registration, in Illinois. For more information about Gift of Hope and organ and tissue donation, visit GiftofHope.org.
Presence St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin is known for providing leading-edge technologies and holistic care with compassion for the individual. They offer a comprehensive range of high quality preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic services including acute inpatient care, outpatient care, home health, and educational outreach programs. Recognized for advanced heart, orthopedics, stroke, cancer and rehabilitation services; Presence Saint Joseph is a part of Presence Health.