A National Donate Life Month Story Series

“You’ve Said ‘Yes’ to Donation. Now What?” is a National Donate Life Month story series that chronicles the ins and outs of the complex donation process. Journey with us during NDLM 2017 as we showcase the behind-the-scenes people who help turn tragedy into triumph by making donation happen.

The Referral Call:  Donor Resource Coordinators

Essential to the Process

Quick and Compassionate, Efficient and Caring

Kelsey and her peers answer more than 6,300 calls each month. Although many of them are donor referrals, calls from donor family members and from colleagues working in the field also come in. Kelsey and her peers must be clinically and emotionally flexible for whatever those calls may bring.

“There’s a ton of organization, quick reflexes and shifting gears involved in the Donor Resource Coordinator role,” said Kelsey (right). “As soon as we’re done taking a new referral we must immediately enter all the data and notes into our computer program, and then it’s quickly time to follow up on a previous case or answer a call from a donor family member.”

Donor Resource Coordinators like Kelsey understand that our clinical partners are busy, so they are as direct and efficient as possible in receiving, transferring and following up on referral calls. With donor families, however, Kelsey and her colleagues take the time necessary to offer emotional support, kindness and compassion.

“Sometimes it can be overwhelming, but we know we need to be nimble to navigate between speaking in very clinical terms with a partner or colleague to holding space for and caring for our donor family members,” said Kelsey. “We are privileged to be there for people who are helping and for people who are hurting. It’s a wonderful thing to be part of those two worlds. We collaborate with our partners clinically but also get to help people cope with their losses and help make something positive come from their sorrow. That’s an amazing thing.”