“Partners” – Our E-Newsletter for Healthcare Professionals
Welcome to PARTNERS, Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network’s e-newsletter for healthcare professionals. If you’re not receiving this informative newsletter via email, be sure to sign below.

Our goal at Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network (FLDRN) is to keep you, a healthcare professional, up to date about organ, eye and tissue donation, and transplantation. Here are highlights from recent Partners e-newsletters.
As we close out the year 2015, we continue our Best Practices series involving the Donor Referral Hotline, looking at "how" it relates to the differences between organ, eye and tissue donation and the agencies who respond to them. We review a symposium...
In our last issue of Partners, we reviewed the “who, what, why, where and how” regarding the Donor Referral Hotline. As a follow-up, let's take a closer look at the “how” as it relates to the differences between organ, eye and tissue donation and the...
At the 42nd Annual Perinatal Symposium in Syracuse, we presented a plenary discussion, "Organ Donation: Life Emerging from Sadness." Crouse Hospital, Upstate Medical University and the hospitals' Central New York Regional Perinatal Programs sponsored...
After struggling for six years with a heart condition and being hospitalized for three months, the popular News 8 Rochester meteorologist is grateful every day for his donor who gave him a second chance.
Scott and the entire team at News 8 are now...
Celebrations of Life events were held in the Syracuse and Rochester regions to honor organ, eye and tissue donors.
And New York State's first-ever organ donor enrollment day received the backing of Governor Andrew Cuomo.
This edition includes a note of thanks for your efforts to promote organ donation during National Donate Life Month; two donor families share why they are grateful to hospital staff; we explain who should talk to families about donation, and how the donor...
Donor families often tell us how deeply they appreciate the compassionate care given by hospital staff as they were coming to terms with the loss of their loved ones, and the possibility of organ donation. Now, we want to share their messages of appreciation...
Many things should be considered before speaking with families about organ donation. Approaching families about donation too soon or without authorization from FLDRN can lead to misunderstandings or an uninformed response.
The best practice? When the...
When it came time to prepare his remarks for Upstate University Hospital's National Donate Life Month celebration, Dr. Vaughn Whittaker wanted to do something a bit different.
Whittaker, a kidney transplant surgeon, enjoys writing poetry and says...
Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network has announced a number of additions and changes to its staff. The appointments include that of Nancy Ryan who is promoted as the organ procurement organization's first head of marketing and community relations. ...
Ever wondered who you were speaking to when calling the 1-800 donor hotline? Here is the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY and HOW of making the donor referral.
This edition of Partners includes an update about DCD, which now stands for "Donation after Circulatory Death." Find out how FLDRN is updating you on the new DCD guidelines.
In the past, DCD was the acronym for Donation After Cardiac Death. Now, DCD stands for Donation after Circulatory Death. Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network wants to ensure that our hospital partners are up-to-date with the new DCD guidelines.
Your hospital is ready: staff has been trained and policies are in place. It is always best practice for hospitals, big or small, to be prepared in the event that a patient they are caring for could become an organ donor and help to save others through...
How many recipients can tell the story that while critically ill and hospitalized for months awaiting a heart transplant they were given a “half-day pass” to attend an only child’s wedding ceremony? Incredibly, that's what happened to Lisa Abbey....
Five questions to test your knowledge about organ donation and the organ donation process. What's your score?
Get the facts about organ donor registration in Upstate New York. Also, in this edition of Partners, test your knowledge about organ, eye and tissue donation. Find out how management times can be extended by as much as 48 to 72 hours. Read how Fred Knewstub...
It only takes a few minutes to test your knowledge on how New York State compares to the rest of the country in terms of registered organ and tissue donors and how many New Yorkers are awaiting life-saving transplants. You might find some of the answers...
As the number of patients on the transplant waiting list continues to grow, unfortunately the number of organ donors is not keeping pace. With an emphasis on improving donor outcomes, we have learned that stability can be maintained for 48-72 hours or...
Fred Knewstub once ran five marathons, several half-marathons and in other endurance runs. Then, when he felt "something like a butterfly" and light headed, he heard the alarming news: He had serious cardiomyopathy causing congestive heart failure.
Nurse Educators at hospitals within the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network service area are breaking out of the norm and creating unique learning opportunities for their critical care nurses to learn about the organ, eye and tissue donation process.
The first edition of Partners includes news about a collaborative project at five ICUs at Strong Memorial Hospital and Upstate University Hospital. The project is being undertaken to standardize the donation approach process with families of potential...
A collaborative is underway between FLDRN and five ICUs at Strong Memorial and Upstate University to standardize the donation approach process and ensure discussions about organ donation are a routine part of end-of-life decision making.
An interview with Catherine Stephens, RN, MSN, CNRN, the Patient Service Supervisor in the neuroscience ICU at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY.
Jaime Erskine-Pettit is a physician assistant and has worked at the emergency department of Strong Memorial Hospital for about 10 years. Here, Jaime recalls how her young son Drake became an kidney donor. As Jaime says, Drake saved two lives, proving...
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